Whatever Happened to Slim Pickens?

There are some who read this blog who may be wondering about Operation Slim Pickens, my attempt to trap and sterilise the community cats behind my work-place. I have officially closed the operation.

It was not an unqualified successful, as there will always be doubt in my mind about one cat, a cat I named Bauble. She – I refer to her as a female for convenience – was the last cat that I and the care-taker of the colony believed was unspayed, though the latter was not sure. Bauble was very shy, never appearing except in company with other cats. Consequently, she was tremendously difficult to trap: any time that I set a trap to catch her, another cat would end up in it, as Bauble did not venture anywhere first. She never showed up alone, and never gave me a chance to entice her without interference.

I tried to come up with a means of trapping Bauble for a couple of months. Then, she seemed to vanish. I haven’t observed her in about six weeks. It is very cold here, and has been for some time, but the other cats have survived, some living in small shelters provided for them, others preferring elsewhere. Bauble was close to other cats, and should have been able to stay warm with them. I don’t know what has happened to her. (Regarding her spaying: she may already have been fixed, as she did not become pregnant in all the time she was seen, and, if male, did not have the look of a tom-cat.)

Therefore, reluctantly, I have concluded Operation Slim Pickens. This doesn’t mean that I won’t start a sequel, if the need arises.

In some ways, I think, the operation has done good. I have caught and had neutered or spayed five adult cats, and eight kittens. Four of those kittens, brothers and sisters, went immediately to caring homes with women who staffed the charity next door to my work-place. They had been slowly getting the kittens used to people and had in fact been able to pick up a fifth sibling and put her in a carrier without recourse to trapping. The other kittens caught went to rescue groups for eventual adoption.

Of the five adults, Auvergne and Bijou remain with the colony, and I see them frequently. Beulah went to a rescue-group’s shelter. I have not seen Argosy for a long time, unfortunately. The first cat I trapped was Raleigh, and you may be familiar with his fate.

That the trapping had some success may be gauged by the fact that I have not seen kittens in or near it since Doodle and Sketch were captured. Indeed, the colony is small, comprising Bijou, Auvergne, Haff (so-called because he looks like Auvergne but with only half of his moustache), two tabbies (White-socks and Tabs) and, periodically, a handsome fellow with a long white coat and a floofy black tail (Francis, named after Francis X Bushman). He, Haff and the two tabby males had been neutered before I began my operations.

Come spring, there may be another tribe of kittens to trap. I hope not. There seem to be no re-productive cats in the colony and, with luck, none will join hereafter. I have access to traps again, if required, and arrangements will be made with a veterinary hospital. But, unlike the actor after whom the effort was named, I hope that Operation Slim Pickens will be able to retire, its work completed.

Argosy.

Auvergne.

Beulah.

Bijou.

Pallas.

Luna.

Maki and Gizmo.

Latimer and Latigo.

Doodle and Sketch.

Raleigh.