Driving Miss Betsy

If you’ve been by Graeme Park lately, you may have noticed a feral cat or two hanging around. At the beginning of October, Betsy (named for Betsy Stedman or Elizabeth Graeme, who was affectionately called Betsy) started to look pregnant. Our clinic appointment was still a few weeks off, and she was somewhat tame with us, allowing a pet here and there and always first in line for food. I got the brilliant idea to get her in a carrier and take her to a vet I know of who will work with feral cats. To my credit, I did successfully transport a younger feral cat/kitten this way once before with no problems. It was easy enough to put food in the carrier and just push her in and close the door when she started to eat. She didn’t seem too upset by it and continued her meal. She bumped around a bit when we started walking, most cats do. As we began driving down Keith Valley Road she wanted out, and she wanted out bad. She managed to pull the carrier door in towards her and escape. She stayed on the floor for a few minutes, and then began to explore the car. While we were driving. Do NOT try this at home. She was much calmer once she was out, walking in front of me and down my door to look out the back window. There was no way I was going to be able to get her back in the carrier within the confines of the car and I wouldn’t risk her escaping altogether somewhere strange, so we drove back to the park where she rejoined her friends to wait for the traps and her appointment. The next morning I realized she had pooped in my car. The moral of this story is don’t abandon your unneutered (or any) cats for other people to be responsible for. Oh, and it turned out she wasn’t pregnant after all, just a bad case of worms, which she was also treated for.