The Glenmont Cat Wrangler Rides Again

Back in the fall, I offered the services of my faithful canine companions, Scarlett and Maddy, to clean up Delmar’s cat problem. I’m happy to report that we’ve taken care of business over there and the pesky little buggers are under control.

Next mission: the cats of Colonie.

The TU reports that residents in a neighborhood near Central Avenue are being driven nuts by feral felines. From today’s story:

On North Elmhurst and Rooney Avenues, neighbors say stray cats urinate on their basement windows and turn their gardens into litter boxes.

Yuck! If someone on North Elmhurst or Rooney Avenues offers you some summer squash, just say no. The tale continues:

Animal control won’t come for cats because they are not licensed,” said North Elmhurst resident Jeanine McCartan. She said owners should have to have microchips implanted in their cats. “They can then be tracked back to their owners,” she said.

Animal control and microchips do not hold the solution, I do.

For a modest fee I can bring the dogs around a few times a week to shake up the cat community. It’s really very affordable. Let’s say you come up with 30 people to throw in $10 a week. That’s just $300, for which you receive the services of two well trained Australian Shepherds and a skilled handler. And for a few bucks extra, Maddy can clean out the cat poop in your garden. Remember not to let her lick your face.

36 thoughts on “The Glenmont Cat Wrangler Rides Again

  1. Work quick my friend..I have said before if cats learn to operate heavy equipment and unionize, we are history. It’s like Soylent Green only with cats…..

  2. My dog specializes in chasing the cats of Pine Hills out of….. their own lawns. No one said she was highly trained.

  3. You know, an easy way to get the cats to stop digging in gardens, or peeing in a place in general, is to thoroughly scrub any hard surface with an enzyme cleaner, like Nature’s Miracle, and then leave a bit of cat food out.

    Cats won’t pee where they eat.

    Someone should also contact a trap and release program, which will trap, neuter or spay, and then release the feral cats back out into the area. (Also keep in mind that if there’s genuinely a population boom, that means there’s probably also a boom in squirrels, rats, mice, and other things that the cats eat.)

  4. A great man in a NJ neighborhood used to gather feral cats and have them altered. I believe the amazing vet charged a few dollars per cat. They had created their own TNR system. They loved animals, they cared, and they were fantastic human beings. Anyone can do this (kind soul and cooperative vet) in any neighborhood.

    PS: Aren’t these handsome dogs living with a lovely cat? My, though, they do look ferocious as they romp on the beach.

  5. The reason for cat over population is due to human ignorance and the fact that they are to cheap to have their pets altered. The only way to make them responsible is to make laws and enforce them. Mandatory spay/nueter, microchipping,and licensing are needed for not just cats but dogs, rabbits and ferrets as well. Don’t blame the cats, they are doing just what cats do. Unfortunately so are the people by being irresponsible cause that’s what people do. Proof of that is in every shelter, with every rescue group and with all the animals left to roam the streets. Those animals pay with their lives due to human ignorance, stupidity and greed.

  6. Trap, Neuter and Return is the only way to go on this one Rob. Contact SCRUFF a local program that does TNR. Licensing does not work for many reasons. However the dogs are cute and of course neutered I hope.

  7. Our cats have been doing a lot of wrangling (and not the catch and release variety) of their own lately, both mice and something bigger–voles, maybe? Not all of them eat their prey, but one of our boys leaves nothing but the butt and the tail, which we usually find after having him sit on our laps giving us kisses.

    A female cat can birth 3 litters a year, and averages about 4-6 kittens per litter. So in seven years, that single cat and her offspring can theoretically produce 420,000 cats. Trap neuter release can help, but its not going to be easy to get stray cats under control.

  8. I had a cat for 18 and 1/2 years that would have made mincemeat of those two and she was declawed. Without claws, she beat up a German Shepherd and a Doberman. Just saying.

    Too extreme, Rob. Too extreme. I know you were joking but still too extreme.

    That said, yeah, laws need to be vamped up to take care of this problem.

    If anyone needs convincing: I had a great aunt who was one of those crazy cat ladies. I loved her and I loved her cats. She had acres of land and a huge three story house with a wrap around porch on all four sides (the cats sheltered there) with enough space for every last one of them. The cats were healthy and not flea bitten starved things like you see on TV when some excessive cat rescuer goes berserk (I know, I petted and fed many a one) but they were feral. (Great Aunt favored me because I actually listened when she told me sit still and let them come to you and get the food from your hand after sniffing you and they’ll let you pet them unlike my siblings who would chase, grab and bitch about getting scratched and bit.) All was well and fine (and I doubt she had any mice, etc.) until she died.

    When she died, my uncle, her nephew, had no choice to go in there with his hunting rifle and go on a rather gruesome hunting trip. He had no other choice. The cats were feral and could not be rescued. Adding to the feral cat population is not mercy. It’s short-sighted thinking. If you’re going to feed a stray, adopt it and take care of it and, for God’s sake, recognize that you can’t rescue more than a sane amount and, yes, get them spayed and neutered. We’ve enough cats.

    1. You may be right, Donna. I’ve been told that certain dense people read my blog posts and take them literally. That’s not good.

      The cat situation is a legit problem and I hope people understand that I love them all.

  9. Rob- hoping you’ll pick up the blog again soon! Things happen. People write crazy things. Hope you get past it. Always enjoyed your blog.

  10. Also, Rob, your dogs might just run across a cat like that cat I used to have… just saying…

    I once was taking a walk with the cat on a lease and my then young daughter and lady stopped to gossip with her neighbor with dog not on lease refused to call dog off when it came barking out to said daughter when I yelled get your dog inserting myself between dog and my child. Lady (using the term loosely here) laughed it off with he wouldn’t hurt a flea. I said take care of your mutt or I let my cat down to take care of him. (I had scooped her up knowing she’d be vicious and indeed she was struggling to free herself of my arms and get at the rude animal.) Lady just looked at her friend and laughed. I put cat down. Cat proceeded to beat up dog and turn the tables. Good kitty…

    “Lady” turned rather white and gasped get her off my dog or I’m going to call the cops! I looked her coolly in the eye (what, I was suppose to care about her damned dog when she didn’t care about my kid) and said please do. She started begging. I said you going to put him on a lease and control him so he doesn’t attack kids? She swore up and down she would, I picked up my cat and went home while she held his collar.

    I’d like to think she learned a lesson but I doubt it even though I called the cops and told them exactly where to find her and what I did. They laughed so I, at least, made their day.

  11. Rob,
    So were on the edge of our seats! Whatever happened to the cats? How do you keep a moron in suspense? Nothing to read with my coffee!
    ml cullen

  12. Rachel, that commercial is absolutely hilarious! All the more so because of the rough, tough cowboy image versus the oooh, kitty cuteness and the cowboys are hard-pressed to get the best of the kitties. I loved it!

    I am so going to put it on my FB wall. I’m Atheist and have a ton of Atheist friends and you know what they say about trying to organize us…

  13. Rob,
    If you are going to print the ones that want you to start up again – have the courage to print the ones that don’t want you to blog again.
    Stop blogging please.

    1. Dean: Find something productive to do with your time — unless you think writing stupid comments on a blog is productive. Who am I to say?

      Yes, I’ve deleted all of the insulting and offensive remarks people have left. Why? Because I can — and I don’t really care what you think.

      Go ahead, have at it. Please write what you wish and I’ll continue to delete it. Your crap is good for a laugh.

      Don’t like it? Please see my friend Mr. Cash. He’s in charge of the complaint department.

  14. It says right above the comment box: “Comments with profanity or personal attacks will be rejected.” Bloggers can and do delete insulting remarks, as well they should.

    He doesn’t have to stop blogging, Dean (note that the date of this last post is July 20). You have only to stop allowing Rob Madeo to take up so much space in your head.

    Hate, like acid, does more damage to the vessel in which it is stored than to the object upon which it is poured.

  15. So apparently the admonition: “Comments with profanity or personal attacks will be rejected” does not apply to the blogger himself posting a link directing a profane gesture at a commenter personally? Aren’t you then insisting on the enforcement of rules against others that you refuse to comply with yourself?

    1. jt: The Johnny Cash picture wasn’t for one commenter personally, it’s for everyone who’s written here with a stupid or rude remark. And I hope they all take it to heart.

      I’ll administer the comments however I like. If you think I’m being unreasonable, please go ahead and complain to Mike Huber at mhuber@timesunion.com

      You’ve already seen how I handle complaints.

  16. jt, it’s an outside link; he could have put the picture here. He didn’t.

    If these are the comments we’re seeing, I can only imagine what we’re not. Though I’d rather not. Thanks for screening them, Rob.

    May things get back to normal soon.

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