Transcripts
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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Today I am super excited
to welcome Nita Hemeter
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. We are gonna talk about TNR and
her organization Trap Dat Cat.
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Nita: Hey Dixie.
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Dixie: How are you this morning
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? Nita: I'm alright.
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Dixie: Tell me a little bit about
yourself and what led you to start
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trap Dat Cat
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Nita: My name is Nita.
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Hemeter.
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Theresa Bridges and I started Trap
Dat Cat a nonprofit in April of 2020
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and it was, I started trapping cats
in 2014 and at first it was slow going
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and then I got pretty good at it.
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Last year.
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TRAP DAT CAT trapped 3,270 cats.
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Dixie: Wow.
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Yeah.
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That's remarkable.
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Nita: And yeah, I always say better to
turn off the faucet than mop the floor.
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You wanna help cats?
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The best thing you can do is get 'em
fixed, whether they're your pets or people
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are feeding cats, but they're not fixing
them, of course, when they don't fix them.
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Then, there's more and more kittens born.
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Cats can get pregnant
as early as four months.
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Gestation is 62 days, give or take.
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And New Orleans is a perfect
environment for cats because we
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don't get, really cold weather.
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Although it did snow this year.
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But it's, warm.
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There's lots of places to hide.
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So cats are just being outta control.
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, Dixie: in New Orleans too, 'cause
I don't think a lot of people
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understand we don't have one kitten
season like a lot of places do.
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We just have a
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Nita: Exactly.
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Dixie: Continuing nonstop kitten season.
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Nita: Exactly.
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And right now I think we aborted
this week, maybe 24 kittens.
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And do I feel bad about that?
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No, I don't.
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There are no homes for
these cats that are born.
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And a lot of people say, oh,
I found homes for my kittens.
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Maybe you did.
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But what you did, you just took homes away
from other cats that are already born.
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All the shelters and all the rescues
in Louisiana are filled with.
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Wonderful dogs and cats that need homes
and there's just not enough homes.
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It's a major problem here, and Theresa
and I realized, impact we could have,
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and I believe we are having an impact.
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When I first started trapping cats, I
would go out and just about every place
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I went, there'd be, six to 20 cats.
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And while I still run into some,
but it's gotten a whole lot better
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than it was, five or six years ago.
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Dixie: On average, how many
cats are you trapping a night?
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Nita: That can vary.
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As far as weekly, we probably
average 50 cats a week.
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Last week we trapped 68.
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And it's not just me trapping because
I tell people, call me all the time,
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can you come out and trap these cats?
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It's no, I can't trap
every cat in New Orleans.
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What I can do is I can load you traps.
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Show how to use them.
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You trap 'em, bring 'em to
me, put 'em on my porch.
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I explain how to label and all that.
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Put 'em on my porch and then
I'll feed them, run them back
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and forth to that, get 'em fixed.
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I'll bring 'em back.
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And then you come pick up.
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So that's not, say I don't trap
and our volunteers don't trap
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because we do, but we try to.
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The only this works is if
everybody participates.
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And now, I've had so many connections
with people that are feeding cats.
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If a new cat shows up, they call me
and they come get a trap and they
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trap the cat, they know what to do.
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So we're slowly educating the
community about the importance of t.
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And how this helps the
cats, saves them money.
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'cause feeding 20 cats,
that's a lot of cat food.
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I know we're making a difference.
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Dixie: Yeah.
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Definitely.
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Nita: Yeah, we just
need people to step up.
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Dixie: I
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know a couple of years ago there was
a family member of mine and they
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said that they couldn't afford to
feed the kittens that they just had.
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And so I'm like why
didn't you spay the mom?
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Oh we couldn't afford it.
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And I'm like there's low cost in, we're
very fortunate to have low cost programs
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here and we've had low cost programs
for a long time, and so he was like
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I couldn't afford to spay the mom.
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That's not an excuse, because now
you're complaining you don't
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have money to feed the kittens.
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And it's a lot more to feed
the kittens than it is to just
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go ahead and get mom spayed.
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Nita: Absolutely.
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Dixie: And then you solve the problem.
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Nita: Yeah, absolutely.
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It's like I routinely tell
people it's $60, give or take.
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To spay or neuter.
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And if you can't afford it, we'll pay.
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When we run outta money,
we run outta money.
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And so far we're still standing.
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We have next to no overhead.
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Nobody's paid.
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We're all volunteers.
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Nobody's paying gas.
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We don't have a van.
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We just have my porch
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fortunately, the Louisiana
SPCA, they're a huge help.
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So I take a lot of cats
to the Louisiana SPCA.
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And then we also have participating
vets, like Southern Animal
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Foundation, low cost animal medical
Center on Washington Avenue.
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Dr.
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Wisdom out in Jefferson Parish
on Jefferson Highway, Dr.
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Abadie
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we always need more vets to participate.
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we've tried, but I don't know.
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It's hard to get the veterinary community.
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Involved
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Dixie: You said you started
in 2020 during the pandemic.
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Is there any specific reason
that you started that time?
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What prompted you to start then?
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Nita: Because nobody was doing anything.
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There was nothing going on and we were
able to find, a couple of that would help.
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And if you're out trapping,
you're not really.
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You are not really
being exposed to people.
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You're outside
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Dixie: Uhhuh.
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Nita: So it ended up, that was the
beginning and somehow we survived.
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Dixie: Now for anybody that's unfamiliar,
can you explain the TNR process?
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Nita: Sure.
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It's basically trap neuter return.
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It is not trap neuter.
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We take the cats.
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People ask me all the time,
can you take my six kittens?
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And we work with various
rescues like big, easy and
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Zeus,
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and of course Louisiana,
SPCA and Spay Mart Arno.
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So if there is room, sometimes we
are but able to get the kittens
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and to foster, we foster kittens
here at my house and we have a few
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fosters, but that's not our focus.
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Our focus is getting all these
cats fixed because that's
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the only way out of of this.
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We are not gonna adopt our way out
of this because there's just so many.
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People ask me all the time, Nita, do
you know somebody that wants a cat?
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And I'm like, if I knew somebody
that wanted a cat, they'd have a cat.
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I don't know anybody.
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So it's trap, neuter, return.
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And a lot of people, I'd say
most people want the cats back.
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They love the cats.
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They're committed to the cats.
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And once they're fixed, they won't
have any more cats, any more babies
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being born, and it works pretty well.
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Of course some people are irrational and
unreasonable, but we just deal with them
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the best we can, it's a major problem.
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Dixie: What about
behavioral things with cats?
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So for people who do see cats coming
around that are not spayed or neutered,
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and you hear, cats fighting all the
time you might have spray marking,
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you may hear the females in heat.
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How does TNR address those issues?
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Nita: It eliminates it.
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People call all the time,
oh, my cat had his eye ripped
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out, and my first question is.
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Is he neutered?
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No.
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That's why he's getting in fights and with
other cats and he's mating with females
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and we just need to get him neutered.
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And I've had a lot of people tell me.
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Oh, since we got, max Neutered, he's
gotten real friendly and he is sleeping
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in the bed with us and so forth.
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So getting him spayed, neutered
helps a lot of those behavior issues.
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The spraying stops, it takes a
couple of months for the behavior
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to go, for the hormones to go away.
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But, I've had a lot of people tell me
that, oh, this cat was so mean, and
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now he just, he loves me and yeah.
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So that's nice to hear.
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Dixie: It is.
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And I'd like to mention something
else too, when you spay and
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neuter them and they're feral
after they're spayed or neutered,
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you don't see 'em as much anymore.
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They keep a really low profile.
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I know there was one that
was coming around me by my
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commercial area and he was.
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Going in and out of this busy parking lot.
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It was making me a nervous wreck,
so I trapped him right away.
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I got 'em neutered.
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And I barely see him now.
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Nita: Yeah.
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It helps just all kinds of problems.
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Plus, if you wanna talk about
money, it costs a whole lot more
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to round up impound animals.
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Than it does to just get 'em fixed.
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Dixie: Absolutely.
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Nita: And I think a lot of
municipalities are realizing that.
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I think Facebook has been a big help,
social media and putting a face to
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the homeless animals, dogs and cats.
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And the benefits of spaying and neutering.
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I've seen just a huge change.
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I've been involved in animal
work for almost 50 years.
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Dixie: I just spoke with Kelsey and she's
at the Washington Parish Animal Shelter.
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Now, of course, they're not as big of
an area as New Orleans, but she was
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telling me they started their program
in 2020 and now they get fewer CAT
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calls and that's, it's remarkable
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. Nita: Yeah.
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Anna Zareal told me a couple of weeks
ago that their cat intake is way down.
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And,
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I know why it's just gotta
be everybody participating in
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this 'cause I cannot do it all.
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Dixie: Yeah.
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And it's very easy to trap too.
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You just have to learn
how to work the trap.
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And then other than that, you just set
it up and you just watch it and you wait.
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Nita: Yeah, I love trapping.
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I wish I could spend more time
trapping instead of organizing.
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I can hear the sound of a
trap closing a mile away.
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I joke with people,
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Dixie: Uhhuh
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Nita: and it's like hunting for good
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, Dixie: what are some of the biggest
misconceptions people have about
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community Cats and the TNR program?
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Most people are appreciative
and they get it.
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I will say that.
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Some people are difficult to
deal with and they like to see
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the little kittens, I think.
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Yeah
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. Nita: It's some kinda weird thing
that the older kittens are so cute.
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And then they don't realize,
most of these kittens born on
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the street are not gonna make it.
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They're gonna die
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I was trying to think of the percentage,
but I think it's something like
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80% of kittens born on the street
end up dying within six months.
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Dixie: I know you addressed
the controversial subject
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of aborting the kittens.
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Nita: Yes.
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Dixie: Do you find like the vets
are very willing to do that?
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Is there a like kind of a limit
when the vets will not do it?
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Nita: I know there's a couple of vets
that do have limits, but the vets we work
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with, they realize, there's just no homes
for these kittens and better for them to
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never be born than to be born just to die.
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Or, clog up the sheltering system.
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For those people that don't wanna abort.
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00:13:06,449 --> 00:13:10,599
It's okay, then you take all
these kittens they don't want 'em,
242
00:13:12,819 --> 00:13:15,819
Dixie: Do you ever have cats
that have kittens in the trap?
243
00:13:16,779 --> 00:13:17,439
Nita: Yes.
244
00:13:18,909 --> 00:13:21,669
I think last year that
happened three times.
245
00:13:21,669 --> 00:13:25,059
And if they're born in
the trap, we take them.
246
00:13:25,114 --> 00:13:28,624
We'll find a foster or
shelter or somebody.
247
00:13:29,314 --> 00:13:29,554
Yeah.
248
00:13:29,554 --> 00:13:35,644
There was one last year that I'm recalling
that the cat was taken to a vet had
249
00:13:35,644 --> 00:13:43,029
kittens at the vet in the trap, and so
they ended up, holding into the mama and
250
00:13:43,029 --> 00:13:46,019
the kittens and then getting the kittens.
251
00:13:46,424 --> 00:13:48,824
Adopted out and the mama went back.
252
00:13:49,064 --> 00:13:53,414
The mama cat went back to her caretaker
because she did have a caretaker.
253
00:13:54,074 --> 00:13:56,234
Now I think that happened
last year three times.
254
00:13:56,504 --> 00:13:58,454
It hasn't happened this year yet.
255
00:13:58,724 --> 00:13:58,964
Dixie: Yeah.
256
00:13:58,964 --> 00:14:00,704
We're just getting into the really,
257
00:14:00,824 --> 00:14:01,034
Nita: we're
258
00:14:01,034 --> 00:14:02,114
just getting into it.
259
00:14:02,164 --> 00:14:03,219
Yeah, it's interesting.
260
00:14:03,439 --> 00:14:05,149
The winter solstice.
261
00:14:05,719 --> 00:14:06,892
What is that, December
262
00:14:06,892 --> 00:14:07,554
Dixie: 21st?
263
00:14:07,694 --> 00:14:07,916
Nita: The 21st?
264
00:14:08,329 --> 00:14:13,229
Yeah I was reading something and
it said that's the time when,
265
00:14:13,229 --> 00:14:15,479
the days are getting longer.
266
00:14:15,579 --> 00:14:19,389
And it sends a message
to the cat's optic nerve.
267
00:14:19,489 --> 00:14:20,699
That it's time to breed.
268
00:14:20,719 --> 00:14:24,769
So that's why we start seeing
lots and lots of pregnant cats.
269
00:14:25,339 --> 00:14:26,199
in March.
270
00:14:26,689 --> 00:14:26,989
Dixie: Yeah.
271
00:14:26,989 --> 00:14:28,129
It's that circadian rhythm
272
00:14:28,129 --> 00:14:28,784
Nita: and then just continues.
273
00:14:28,819 --> 00:14:29,209
Yeah.
274
00:14:29,419 --> 00:14:29,929
Yeah.
275
00:14:29,929 --> 00:14:33,959
It just continues, up
until October or something.
276
00:14:34,199 --> 00:14:36,059
But right now we're in the peak of it.
277
00:14:36,749 --> 00:14:36,989
Dixie: Yeah.
278
00:14:36,989 --> 00:14:40,679
I think here we get maybe one month
off where it's like a little slow.
279
00:14:41,639 --> 00:14:42,089
Nita: Yeah.
280
00:14:43,679 --> 00:14:44,249
Yeah.
281
00:14:44,759 --> 00:14:48,239
And if people wanna argue with me
about it, I have so much to do, our
282
00:14:48,239 --> 00:14:50,369
volunteers and I, we I just, okay.
283
00:14:50,369 --> 00:14:51,389
Then you deal with it.
284
00:14:51,389 --> 00:14:52,769
I'll move on to the next one.
285
00:14:52,769 --> 00:14:56,069
I'm just not gonna argue with people.
286
00:14:56,879 --> 00:14:58,464
Dixie: And how many
volunteers do you have?
287
00:14:59,464 --> 00:15:03,064
Nita: Kate's over here right now
helping in the cat room and washing
288
00:15:03,064 --> 00:15:05,254
traps and helping with the laundry.
289
00:15:05,254 --> 00:15:06,994
And we have.
290
00:15:07,594 --> 00:15:11,194
I think six people that foster.
291
00:15:12,184 --> 00:15:17,084
And then I have a like six people that
help me haul back and forth to the vet.
292
00:15:17,894 --> 00:15:22,434
Two people that come in the morning
that help me change the newspaper in
293
00:15:22,434 --> 00:15:24,624
the traps before we take 'em to the vet.
294
00:15:25,354 --> 00:15:27,994
And then feed the ones that
have come back from the vet.
295
00:15:29,059 --> 00:15:34,039
I have two ladies that live near
me, and so they'll come like Monday
296
00:15:34,039 --> 00:15:35,899
through Friday to help with that.
297
00:15:35,929 --> 00:15:36,769
Thank goodness.
298
00:15:37,439 --> 00:15:43,049
Sometimes on my porch
I'll have 21 to 30 cats.
299
00:15:43,149 --> 00:15:46,969
That's routinely I'll have 20, 25.
300
00:15:46,969 --> 00:15:48,169
It gets to be crazy.
301
00:15:49,219 --> 00:15:51,469
So it takes a lot of volunteers.
302
00:15:51,499 --> 00:15:54,379
And of course I always need volunteers.
303
00:15:54,379 --> 00:15:57,299
They have volunteers
that will take laundry.
304
00:15:58,499 --> 00:16:01,889
'cause as there's just tons
of laundry trap covers.
305
00:16:01,889 --> 00:16:05,559
I have a volunteer that makes trap covers.
306
00:16:06,249 --> 00:16:09,039
I just tell people there's
always something to do over here.
307
00:16:09,094 --> 00:16:09,484
Now, and I
308
00:16:09,484 --> 00:16:14,164
encourage people to go volunteer at
these other rescues and go volunteer
309
00:16:14,164 --> 00:16:20,344
at the Louisiana SPCA or Jefferson
Parish Shelter, or Jefferson, SPCA.
310
00:16:20,764 --> 00:16:24,514
There's just a million
things that need to be done
311
00:16:25,514 --> 00:16:29,844
Dixie: How do you identify and
prioritize the areas that you go trap in?
312
00:16:32,704 --> 00:16:39,374
Nita: I get calls night and day, so
it is pretty much just come get a trap
313
00:16:39,374 --> 00:16:41,864
your hood, talk to your neighbors.
314
00:16:42,414 --> 00:16:43,704
And I have a list.
315
00:16:44,319 --> 00:16:49,749
I get a request for trapping
through Trap Dat Cat through our
316
00:16:49,749 --> 00:16:53,529
organization as well as Louisiana SPCA.
317
00:16:54,729 --> 00:17:01,059
So to be honest, I
prioritize what's near me.
318
00:17:01,114 --> 00:17:05,839
I do go out to New Orleans East, but
I live uptown, so that's, a long haul.
319
00:17:05,919 --> 00:17:08,739
And New Orleans East is very underserved.
320
00:17:08,779 --> 00:17:12,919
A lot of people, if somebody's elderly,
of course, they maybe can't do it.
321
00:17:13,489 --> 00:17:17,179
So we'll go out there
and just do what we can.
322
00:17:17,989 --> 00:17:22,348
And I always tell everybody, we
gotta get every cat, otherwise
323
00:17:22,348 --> 00:17:23,848
we're not doing anything.
324
00:17:23,898 --> 00:17:28,154
And a lot of people do call me back,
oh, need this other cat showed up?
325
00:17:28,154 --> 00:17:29,414
Can I come get a trap?
326
00:17:29,444 --> 00:17:30,044
Yes.
327
00:17:31,049 --> 00:17:36,419
They come, they sign out a trap and
go trap and then bring the cat to me.
328
00:17:37,209 --> 00:17:43,089
I have a lot of problems with people
returning traps, so I have to really read
329
00:17:43,089 --> 00:17:49,449
them the riot act that these traps are a
hundred bucks and we need our traps back.
330
00:17:49,579 --> 00:17:51,358
And I don't know what it is that.
331
00:17:52,348 --> 00:17:56,898
I have to be mean to people to get
'em to understand that, if we don't
332
00:17:56,898 --> 00:17:59,088
have these traps, we can't help cats.
333
00:17:59,338 --> 00:18:04,528
One lady stole two of our traps,
and so we filed a police report, and
334
00:18:04,528 --> 00:18:09,418
of course nothing's gonna happen,
but at least it's on her record.
335
00:18:09,418 --> 00:18:10,558
She just won't give them back.
336
00:18:10,608 --> 00:18:12,438
And we've tried, going over there and.
337
00:18:14,058 --> 00:18:15,738
There's lots of crazy cat people.
338
00:18:16,578 --> 00:18:17,058
Dixie: Yeah, I know.
339
00:18:17,058 --> 00:18:20,708
I had a situation it was a
couple of years ago where I was
340
00:18:20,708 --> 00:18:22,328
trying to clean up an area by me.
341
00:18:22,378 --> 00:18:26,398
So many cats and I was doing a really
good job of getting them and I noticed
342
00:18:26,398 --> 00:18:27,478
there was a new one over there.
343
00:18:27,478 --> 00:18:29,608
This lady had contacted us in this area.
344
00:18:29,608 --> 00:18:30,838
I was already familiar with it.
345
00:18:31,423 --> 00:18:34,593
But she was like, oh there's
kittens over here and there's cats.
346
00:18:34,593 --> 00:18:36,903
And it was like, okay I'm gonna
come and I'll try to help.
347
00:18:37,603 --> 00:18:40,533
I put the trap out and I told
her, don't touch the trap.
348
00:18:40,683 --> 00:18:41,883
Leave it right where I put it.
349
00:18:42,358 --> 00:18:45,248
, if the cat goes in
it, , just gimme a call.
350
00:18:45,848 --> 00:18:47,948
And I had to go run down
the street real quick.
351
00:18:48,308 --> 00:18:49,748
I come back, she moved my trap.
352
00:18:50,453 --> 00:18:52,823
So then I go move my trap someplace else.
353
00:18:53,163 --> 00:18:56,493
She basically told me, oh, I
can't put my trap there because
354
00:18:56,493 --> 00:18:59,433
there's a lot of kids in the area
and they're gonna steal my trap.
355
00:19:00,723 --> 00:19:02,673
And I'm like, why would
kids steal my trap?
356
00:19:02,673 --> 00:19:03,723
So I think it was her.
357
00:19:03,723 --> 00:19:05,703
I think she's the one
that just had a problem.
358
00:19:06,723 --> 00:19:07,293
Nita: Yeah.
359
00:19:08,083 --> 00:19:09,583
, Dixie: why do you reach
out for help though?
360
00:19:09,583 --> 00:19:11,113
And then tell me you're
gonna steal my trap,
361
00:19:11,163 --> 00:19:11,793
Nita: yeah.
362
00:19:12,798 --> 00:19:14,148
It's unbelievable.
363
00:19:14,208 --> 00:19:16,758
We had this, yeah, that's
happened to me before.
364
00:19:16,758 --> 00:19:19,808
This man had hidden one
of our traps in his car.
365
00:19:20,648 --> 00:19:26,438
And so we're out there trying to talk to
him, and finally his wife screams out from
366
00:19:26,438 --> 00:19:29,288
the window give the ladies their trap.
367
00:19:29,288 --> 00:19:30,488
It's in your car.
368
00:19:31,488 --> 00:19:32,388
I don't get it.
369
00:19:32,438 --> 00:19:33,128
I really don't.
370
00:19:34,038 --> 00:19:38,688
Dixie: How do you handle situations
where a trap cat is found to be owned
371
00:19:38,688 --> 00:19:40,578
or it has some kind of medical problem?
372
00:19:42,798 --> 00:19:44,208
Nita: Oh, I have a chip reader.
373
00:19:44,208 --> 00:19:49,038
So you know, if the cat looks
friendly, I'll scan him for a chip.
374
00:19:49,038 --> 00:19:54,678
And I think in the past couple of weeks
we've had three cats that had chips.
375
00:19:55,128 --> 00:20:00,028
One of the cats with a chip, the
owner, who the cat was registered
376
00:20:00,028 --> 00:20:01,528
to, did not want the cat back.
377
00:20:01,558 --> 00:20:02,548
But a lot of people do.
378
00:20:02,548 --> 00:20:06,088
We trapped one cat that had
been missing for 10 years.
379
00:20:06,238 --> 00:20:06,268
Dixie: Oh
380
00:20:06,268 --> 00:20:06,838
wow.
381
00:20:07,708 --> 00:20:10,678
Nita: And they came right
over and picked up the cat.
382
00:20:10,678 --> 00:20:16,288
The cat was trapped in New
Orleans East and the people
383
00:20:16,288 --> 00:20:18,248
were from, I think, Slidell.
384
00:20:18,688 --> 00:20:19,438
Dixie: Oh, wow.
385
00:20:19,468 --> 00:20:21,178
Yeah, I guess he got a ride.
386
00:20:22,378 --> 00:20:23,788
Nita: He got a ride with somebody.
387
00:20:23,998 --> 00:20:28,458
I don't think he swam over the
lake, but yeah, we had one Mardi
388
00:20:28,458 --> 00:20:31,008
Gras Indian that just refused.
389
00:20:31,038 --> 00:20:35,778
All the neighbors are complaining,
all these cats all over the place.
390
00:20:36,558 --> 00:20:41,958
And so we're out there trapping and
he pulls up in his van and takes
391
00:20:41,958 --> 00:20:46,458
two of our traps and throws them in
the street and breaks one of them.
392
00:20:48,063 --> 00:20:50,283
And the neighbors are afraid of him.
393
00:20:51,063 --> 00:20:54,303
So it can get crazy.
394
00:20:54,753 --> 00:20:57,783
One lady has 41 cats in her house.
395
00:20:58,533 --> 00:21:01,653
I have begged her to, and they're friendly
396
00:21:02,043 --> 00:21:02,073
Dixie: Uhhuh.
397
00:21:02,253 --> 00:21:06,493
Nita: I have begged her, bring me
the cats, let me get 'em fixed.
398
00:21:07,753 --> 00:21:15,313
Or she's gonna, end up with 60 or 70
cats and then realize she has a problem.
399
00:21:15,713 --> 00:21:18,713
I've literally begged this woman,
so I just gotta let that go.
400
00:21:18,743 --> 00:21:21,083
Dixie: So none of 'em, none of
them are spayed or neutered.
401
00:21:22,223 --> 00:21:23,273
Nita: Some of them are.
402
00:21:24,023 --> 00:21:24,593
Dixie: Wow.
403
00:21:25,673 --> 00:21:26,123
Nita: Yeah.
404
00:21:27,923 --> 00:21:28,373
I don't know.
405
00:21:28,373 --> 00:21:31,493
She's one of these that thinks
she's doing a good thing by
406
00:21:31,973 --> 00:21:33,563
giving them away to people.
407
00:21:33,568 --> 00:21:33,848
Dixie: Uhhuh.
408
00:21:34,913 --> 00:21:37,333
Nita: When we run across people
that, they wanna keep the
409
00:21:37,333 --> 00:21:39,013
kittens, we're like, okay, great.
410
00:21:40,183 --> 00:21:41,503
'cause they wanna give them away.
411
00:21:41,533 --> 00:21:44,633
Just let us get 'em fixed
first before we give them away.
412
00:21:44,713 --> 00:21:51,943
Let us get 'em fixed and vaccinated
because, the cats get an vaccine and
413
00:21:51,963 --> 00:21:54,993
a rabies, and of course a spay neuter.
414
00:21:55,263 --> 00:22:00,273
So that gives them a better chance
of survival and we know that,
415
00:22:01,063 --> 00:22:05,413
those kittens won't be, starting
the cycle again of breeding.
416
00:22:07,678 --> 00:22:11,908
Dixie: Now, recently on Facebook,
I saw a post where some woman was
417
00:22:11,908 --> 00:22:16,658
really, infuriated because her
outdoor cat came back with an ear tip.
418
00:22:18,278 --> 00:22:21,258
So what do you think about
situations like that?
419
00:22:22,648 --> 00:22:24,973
Nita: Ear tip, cats are
protected under the law.
420
00:22:25,843 --> 00:22:30,543
It's the universal symbol that
this cat has been spayed or
421
00:22:30,543 --> 00:22:32,783
neutered and vaccinated for rades.
422
00:22:33,928 --> 00:22:41,788
And it also prevents somebody like me
or you going over there and trapping
423
00:22:41,788 --> 00:22:43,738
the cat and the cat's already fixed.
424
00:22:45,698 --> 00:22:49,228
And people say, oh, I wanna go
through your program, but the cat,
425
00:22:49,318 --> 00:22:51,058
I don't want my cat ear tipped.
426
00:22:51,418 --> 00:22:56,248
Then you go to a private vet and you get
'em fixed and microchipped and you pay.
427
00:22:56,798 --> 00:23:04,133
$200 - $300 or more and you
could do that rather than pay 60.
428
00:23:06,248 --> 00:23:10,968
The cat's ear tipped and most
people will go, we'll accept that.
429
00:23:12,088 --> 00:23:15,778
Dixie: So is there protection for
ear tip cats in your area too, where
430
00:23:15,778 --> 00:23:17,518
like the shelter won't pick those up
431
00:23:18,068 --> 00:23:19,448
Nita: Yeah, absolutely.
432
00:23:19,448 --> 00:23:21,008
The shelter won't pick 'em up.
433
00:23:21,008 --> 00:23:22,718
They're protected under the law.
434
00:23:23,443 --> 00:23:29,233
And you can see ear tip cats
in China or England or France.
435
00:23:29,233 --> 00:23:31,033
It's the universal symbol.
436
00:23:31,213 --> 00:23:35,023
That these cats are spayed,
neutered, and protected.
437
00:23:37,063 --> 00:23:39,013
So why would you not ear tip,
438
00:23:39,223 --> 00:23:39,553
Dixie: right?
439
00:23:39,553 --> 00:23:42,403
Nita: All of my cats are ear
tipped, even the friendly ones,
440
00:23:42,583 --> 00:23:43,033
right?
441
00:23:43,033 --> 00:23:43,333
Dixie: Yeah.
442
00:23:43,528 --> 00:23:45,118
I don't mind the ear tip at all,
443
00:23:45,908 --> 00:23:46,898
Nita: Yeah, me either.
444
00:23:47,018 --> 00:23:49,478
It's I don't want somebody coming
over here and taking my cat.
445
00:23:49,728 --> 00:23:52,098
Dixie: What are some of the
success stories that you have
446
00:23:52,178 --> 00:23:53,858
had to keep your team motivated?
447
00:23:54,858 --> 00:23:57,588
Nita: We have success stories every day.
448
00:23:58,518 --> 00:24:03,588
For every cat we fix, we're
saving thousands rather
449
00:24:03,588 --> 00:24:06,243
than taking one kitten and.
450
00:24:07,278 --> 00:24:12,018
Using up a huge amount of
resources to get that cat at home.
451
00:24:12,618 --> 00:24:15,988
We're preventing, all this suffering.
452
00:24:16,108 --> 00:24:21,748
And community problems with cats,
roaming and yelling and spraying
453
00:24:21,778 --> 00:24:24,088
and bothering neighbors and.
454
00:24:25,773 --> 00:24:31,363
To me, every cat that we fix is
just saving so many down the road.
455
00:24:31,813 --> 00:24:32,773
Dixie: Yeah, absolutely.
456
00:24:33,023 --> 00:24:34,943
What are your feelings about breeders?
457
00:24:37,433 --> 00:24:43,433
Nita: I do not understand why anybody
would be breeding a dog or a cat
458
00:24:44,183 --> 00:24:46,253
when all of our shelters are full.
459
00:24:46,733 --> 00:24:48,473
Even purebred animals.
460
00:24:49,898 --> 00:24:55,118
I think a quarter of the dogs that
end up in shelters are purebred.
461
00:24:55,448 --> 00:25:01,948
And there's all these rescues that
specialize in, poodles or Dobermans or
462
00:25:01,948 --> 00:25:04,393
German shepherds or cocker spaniels.
463
00:25:04,393 --> 00:25:07,603
There's rescue specific
for specific breeds.
464
00:25:08,123 --> 00:25:11,103
Puppy mills, I don't get, I've never.
465
00:25:12,138 --> 00:25:14,628
All of my animals are rescued.
466
00:25:15,918 --> 00:25:19,368
And my, like my neighbors, all
of their animals are rescued.
467
00:25:19,368 --> 00:25:25,018
I see people walking down the street and
I can tell, oh yeah, I re rescued this
468
00:25:25,528 --> 00:25:30,088
dog from Zeus, or Big Easy, or wherever.
469
00:25:31,088 --> 00:25:35,768
Dixie: What are your future goals for Trap
Dat Cat and are there any new initiatives
470
00:25:35,768 --> 00:25:37,298
or projects that you're working on?
471
00:25:40,248 --> 00:25:44,558
Nita: I would like to see more
of the rescues have traps to
472
00:25:44,558 --> 00:25:46,868
take some of the stress off.
473
00:25:47,738 --> 00:25:55,788
I would like to, see more rescues have
just even a small team of trappers
474
00:25:56,688 --> 00:25:59,568
and I know Jefferson, SPCA does.
475
00:25:59,618 --> 00:26:04,808
This is a big area to cover
and I can't do it all.
476
00:26:05,488 --> 00:26:10,708
I know Juliana in, on the West Bank, she
traps a lot of cats on the West Bank.
477
00:26:10,708 --> 00:26:15,298
She's in Jefferson Parish and
we have a couple of trappers.
478
00:26:15,298 --> 00:26:17,218
Catherine in Algiers.
479
00:26:17,218 --> 00:26:22,248
She traps a lot of cats over
there, we're not there yet.
480
00:26:22,298 --> 00:26:26,798
Our goal is to try to keep
educating people and just keep
481
00:26:26,798 --> 00:26:29,438
stressing spay neuter, TNR.
482
00:26:29,858 --> 00:26:34,898
Be a responsible pet owner,
just get your animals fixed.
483
00:26:35,603 --> 00:26:39,083
Dixie: Do you think there's any kind of
way to help to educate the public on that?
484
00:26:40,083 --> 00:26:43,673
Nita: I think just by us being out
there, most people know us now.
485
00:26:44,248 --> 00:26:48,203
I I'd love to see like
people go into the schools
486
00:26:50,423 --> 00:26:52,073
and the veterinary community.
487
00:26:52,123 --> 00:26:57,633
I think most vets will tell you
that, like 90% of their clients'
488
00:26:58,503 --> 00:27:00,033
pets are spayed, neutered.
489
00:27:00,273 --> 00:27:02,673
I, I've asked around, and
that's the percentage I get.
490
00:27:03,363 --> 00:27:07,433
So I would like to see the
vets lower their prices.
491
00:27:08,093 --> 00:27:11,543
Somebody called me last week,
they got a price for neutering,
492
00:27:11,543 --> 00:27:15,593
a cat, a ma, male, cat, $800.
493
00:27:17,513 --> 00:27:21,293
. Now maybe that included, shots
and combo tests and all that.
494
00:27:21,293 --> 00:27:21,533
I dunno.
495
00:27:21,983 --> 00:27:28,103
But, so they came right over here and went
through our program and plopped down 65.
496
00:27:29,513 --> 00:27:29,963
Dixie: Wow.
497
00:27:29,963 --> 00:27:30,233
Yeah.
498
00:27:30,233 --> 00:27:34,118
I just took in a little cat she's a
year and a half and she wasn't spayed.
499
00:27:34,523 --> 00:27:37,633
Now the owner did ensure
to keep her inside.
500
00:27:37,633 --> 00:27:41,803
So she never did go outside, which is
great, but she wasn't from this area,
501
00:27:41,803 --> 00:27:43,303
she had another one that was neutered.
502
00:27:43,303 --> 00:27:45,493
And I said, why didn't
you spay the female?
503
00:27:45,493 --> 00:27:46,333
Can I ask?
504
00:27:46,753 --> 00:27:51,493
And it was, the vet told her it would be
better to wait till the female was a year.
505
00:27:51,763 --> 00:27:52,123
. Nita: Yeah.
506
00:27:52,123 --> 00:27:56,588
The vets need to step up and I think a
lot of them are, we are fortunate here.
507
00:27:57,288 --> 00:27:58,008
We have.
508
00:27:58,683 --> 00:28:02,153
Like four vets that will,
give us reduced prices.
509
00:28:02,153 --> 00:28:04,643
We had one cat this week.
510
00:28:04,743 --> 00:28:09,813
Lady brought me this stray
cat she picked up at Costco.
511
00:28:09,813 --> 00:28:15,693
Friendly, had a broken leg,
so Southern Animal Foundation
512
00:28:15,693 --> 00:28:18,273
ended up taking that cat.
513
00:28:19,193 --> 00:28:22,763
And they amputated the leg,
I think Friday, Thursday.
514
00:28:24,203 --> 00:28:26,993
And the cat's doing well and
they're gonna hang onto the
515
00:28:26,993 --> 00:28:29,453
cat and find that cat at home.
516
00:28:29,508 --> 00:28:31,548
And we are fortunate here.
517
00:28:31,678 --> 00:28:33,088
We need more vets.
518
00:28:34,528 --> 00:28:38,818
But we're pretty lucky out
in the rest of Louisiana.
519
00:28:38,818 --> 00:28:41,698
Most parishes don't even
have an animal shelter.
520
00:28:41,968 --> 00:28:47,748
There's a few small organizations, we're
able to help St Bernard has a trapping
521
00:28:47,748 --> 00:28:51,018
group and , they're doing really good.
522
00:28:51,068 --> 00:28:54,918
, but they're brand new, so we're
fortunately able to help them.
523
00:28:55,788 --> 00:28:59,708
And yeah there's other little groups
that it's just gotta be everybody.
524
00:29:01,038 --> 00:29:03,108
I know there's lots of cat lovers.
525
00:29:03,158 --> 00:29:03,378
And.
526
00:29:04,238 --> 00:29:12,428
They just have to understand what
the impact is on the community when
527
00:29:12,428 --> 00:29:14,348
they allow these cats to breed.
528
00:29:15,728 --> 00:29:18,578
Dixie: So what advice would you
give someone who is thinking about
529
00:29:18,578 --> 00:29:20,408
starting a similar organization?
530
00:29:22,284 --> 00:29:26,934
Nita: Be prepared to be
overwhelmed and worn out.
531
00:29:27,029 --> 00:29:30,059
As everybody in rescue
is just overwhelmed.
532
00:29:30,489 --> 00:29:30,609
It's
533
00:29:30,609 --> 00:29:31,419
just never ending.
534
00:29:31,599 --> 00:29:33,609
My phone never stops.
535
00:29:33,664 --> 00:29:34,394
Just never.
536
00:29:35,174 --> 00:29:40,789
And it's just gotta be everybody helping
and everybody can do something, go to
537
00:29:40,789 --> 00:29:45,589
your shelter and wash laundry for 'em,
or go walk dogs or go play with kittens.
538
00:29:45,589 --> 00:29:49,459
Or if your neighbor has a
breeding animal, talk to 'em.
539
00:29:51,679 --> 00:29:55,219
And again, I think social media
has put a face to all this.
540
00:29:55,219 --> 00:29:56,389
When I first started.
541
00:29:57,344 --> 00:30:01,424
In the eighties I was volunteering
at the Louisiana SPCA.
542
00:30:01,904 --> 00:30:05,714
They were taking in 17,000 animals a year.
543
00:30:05,954 --> 00:30:06,434
Dixie: Wow.
544
00:30:08,144 --> 00:30:10,154
Nita: It was unbelievable.
545
00:30:10,484 --> 00:30:13,724
Now I think they take in maybe 5,000.
546
00:30:13,724 --> 00:30:15,434
That's a see change.
547
00:30:16,244 --> 00:30:16,334
Yeah.
548
00:30:16,334 --> 00:30:18,974
In a relatively short period of time
549
00:30:21,044 --> 00:30:21,134
and.
550
00:30:23,489 --> 00:30:25,979
It's, it's a national problem, obviously.
551
00:30:25,979 --> 00:30:32,079
It's in, the more educated areas
where there's lots of money for animal
552
00:30:32,079 --> 00:30:37,619
control and shelters it's not as bad,
but it's bad all over the country.
553
00:30:37,859 --> 00:30:38,999
Dixie: How was your group funded
554
00:30:40,919 --> 00:30:41,849
Nita: donations?
555
00:30:43,194 --> 00:30:44,664
Strictly donations.
556
00:30:44,724 --> 00:30:48,894
We're lucky to have a couple of
people that donate regularly.
557
00:30:49,804 --> 00:30:55,294
And then, I beg people to donate anything
they can when they bring me a cat.
558
00:30:55,354 --> 00:30:58,314
And so far, we've survived.
559
00:30:59,149 --> 00:30:59,994
It's a miracle.
560
00:31:00,754 --> 00:31:05,239
There, I, it really is a miracle,
but, we have no, no building.
561
00:31:06,259 --> 00:31:11,839
No car, no electricity, no water bills.
562
00:31:11,949 --> 00:31:12,999
Just my porch.
563
00:31:13,129 --> 00:31:18,109
Dixie: Before we end the call can you
tell us, what is your biggest need and
564
00:31:18,109 --> 00:31:19,429
how would people get in touch with you?
565
00:31:21,259 --> 00:31:22,789
Nita: More volunteers.
566
00:31:24,979 --> 00:31:26,059
Money for spay, neuter.
567
00:31:28,069 --> 00:31:31,339
Talk to your vet about
participating in our program.
568
00:31:31,339 --> 00:31:36,829
We have a website, www.trapdatcat.org.
569
00:31:37,489 --> 00:31:39,979
You can go on there and donate.
570
00:31:40,009 --> 00:31:43,489
You can send cat food.
571
00:31:44,379 --> 00:31:47,109
There's just, a million ways to help.
572
00:31:47,289 --> 00:31:48,939
Trap your neighborhood.
573
00:31:50,049 --> 00:31:51,249
Just get involved.
574
00:31:51,889 --> 00:31:56,819
If you don't live in New Orleans, go
volunteer, for your local shelter.
575
00:31:57,819 --> 00:31:58,659
Dixie: Absolutely.
576
00:31:59,269 --> 00:32:01,789
Thank you for taking the time
to speak with me this morning.
577
00:32:01,789 --> 00:32:04,104
I really appreciated it and
I enjoyed our conversation.
578
00:32:04,114 --> 00:32:05,455
Nita: Thank you, Dixie
579
00:32:05,719 --> 00:32:07,459
thank you so much for doing this.
580
00:32:07,459 --> 00:32:07,879
Thank you.
581
00:32:07,879 --> 00:32:08,449
Thank you.
582
00:32:08,499 --> 00:32:08,779
Dixie: Goodbye.
583
00:32:08,879 --> 00:32:09,339
Nita: Bye bye.
584
00:32:10,339 --> 00:32:13,219
And that's all the time we
have for today's episode.
585
00:32:13,325 --> 00:32:17,335
If you are in animal rescue, or if
you know someone that has a story that
586
00:32:17,335 --> 00:32:19,515
should be told, please contact us.
587
00:32:19,585 --> 00:32:22,405
We would love to have
you or them on the show
588
00:32:22,635 --> 00:32:26,205
. Thanks for listening, and please
join us next week as we continue to
589
00:32:26,205 --> 00:32:28,505
explore the world of animal rescue.
