Flight or Fight

Spring is upon us, and all of the cats in our yard are hot and bothered. Our main resident of our cat hotel, or should I say cat brothel, was strutting her stuff bringing all the Tom’s to our yard. One of the male cats known as Senór Nueces Grandes aka Mr. Big Nuts, was following so closely behind her, she had to keep stopping to slap him. By the end of the day she had around 5 male cats around her and at night it caused quite the ruckus!

I think Smokey is her bodyguard and walks around fighting off the other cats, he seems like the only gentleman that doesn’t want to mount her. At first I wasn’t sure what was going on, as all of our cats from the states had to be spayed or neutered before we could take them home from the shelter. In Spain it’s not as common to have your animals fixed, which is why there is such a huge stray cat population. 

As much as I would love to see Mamá G’s kittens, I worried that this would be her life going forward and having lots of babies and no way to take care of them. I was worried the kittens wouldn’t get the help they needed, they could get hit by a car, killed by another cat or dog, or poisoned by someone considering them a pest. I also don’t want to add to the growing stray cat population. 

Despite our meeting about the rules of the hotel, she continued to bring more boys to the yard!

With all of that weighing on my mind and trying to chase the boys away yelling “no means no”, I decided that’s it, I’m going to capture Mamá G! 

I closed the cat entrance door on the front of the coop and left the other door open, hoping she would seek shelter overnight. 

In the morning I provided room service to the residents of our hotel. Luckily when I  went out to feed them, there was little Mamá G in the cubby and Smokey on the table waiting to be fed. I went in, fed them and closed the door behind me, trapping both of them in. After they finished eating I let Smokey out leaving her in there all day and would come back later to feed her. 

Mamá G in the first cubby and her bodyguard Smokey

When I checked up on her midday I walked in the hotel and she had disappeared! I thought maybe she squeezed herself under the table, or under the metal on the coop. 

Next to the hotel is a room attached that we’re turning into a tool shed. At the moment we have a thick piece of plastic dividing the rooms so the cats don’t go into the tool shed. 

Much to my surprise, a small opening at the corner of the window allowed her to jump through, and she was now sitting on the ledge in the tool shed. I peaked in and saw her trembling with fear behind our pool cover.

Deciding to give her space, I resolved to return later to escort her back to the cat hotel for a meal and to prepare for the upcoming vet visit in the morning.

Upon my return, she greeted me with a hiss and a swat. Given her predicament , trapped and in heat, it was understandable. Thankfully, I had my thick shoulder-length panther gloves ready for protection.  

As I approached her, she was so terrified that she urinated and defecated on the ledge where she sat, then proceeded to step in it. Startled by the unknown she dashed towards the door, injuring her nose in the process, and began frantically darting around the room, trailing feces behind her.

She leaped onto a shelf continuing to swat and bite me, fortunately my thick gloves protected me from her wrath. I remained calm and finally was able to grab her and put her back through the window. Taping the plastic and securing it to the wall a few times. I felt pretty damn proud of myself, it was super difficult, a little scary and it felt great to be able to get her back where I felt she would be a little more comfortable and safe. 

I think we’re making a difference for the lives of these cats and future cats, it’s definitely not easy but it is worth doing. 

I felt reassured knowing that taking her in for spaying would not only prevent unwanted pregnancies but also provide relief from all the constant harassment from the male cats. She would also receive treatment for worms and fleas, alleviating some of her discomfort and itchiness.

I approached the hotel in the morning feeling quite confident about my plan, but upon arrival, Mamá G had other ideas. As I approached the hotel I caught sight of a shadow that seemed to be a cat moving in a stealth Mission Impossible fashion, slipping between the plastic and chicken wire covering the windows, heading towards the door.

Upon entering the room, I closed the door behind me and attempt to make sense of the situation. After realizing Mamá G was indeed that shadow and rapidly making her move towards the door. I moved quickly,  trying to redirect her shimmy away from the door, pushing her little butt through the plastic and tearing the ties that secured it in place.

When she got out from the plastic she saw an opportunity to launch at the door, pushing it open and escaping the room to her freedom. Needless to say in the moment I was pissed off, yelling “Fuuucckkk” as I tried to catch her up the path. 
Once I allowed the dust to settle and I could reflect on the situation, I realized Mamá G taught me a valuable lesson. 

In this experience, both Mamá G and I reacted from a fight or flight mentality. When I faced Mamá G in the toolshed, her intense fear clouded her ability to think logically, resulting in giving herself a bloody nose,  in a panicked attempt to flee. With my presence no longer an immediate threat, she could concentrate on her escape plan to break free.  Meanwhile, I found myself being reactive, losing my cool and rationality as the fear of her escape took over.

When confronted with fear, our natural tendency is often to react with a fight or flight mentality. In doing so, we can lose sight of our true objectives and allow our emotions to override logic, ultimately undermining our own efforts.

Instead of succumbing to reactive responses, it's beneficial to operate from a place of intention. By doing so, we can maintain clarity of thought and approach challenges with a more strategic mindset. This deliberate approach enables us to stay focused on our goals and pursue paths that are aligned with our objectives, leading to more effective outcomes.

Although Mamá G managed to outsmart me this time, I'm committed to earning back her trust and attempting to capture her again soon, and this time with a much more intentional approach!