1 00:00:01,760 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: Good morning, though it is actually one two pm. I 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: am just currently sitting down with my first cup of 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: coffee for the day, though so feels like the start 4 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: of my day. So far today I have fed all 5 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: the kittens and cats, scooped everyone's litter box. 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 2: And gave everyone their meds. 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,319 Speaker 1: I need to before we go trap prep all of 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: the crates for the new kittens we're going to be 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: bringing in today. Yeah, I'm excited for this trapping today. 10 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: It's a location where we've already been trapping on the sidewalk, 11 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: but then recently got connected with a feeder next door 12 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: and discovered that he's feeding actually a lot more cats 13 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: in his backyard. So far, we've trapped six adults and 14 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: two kittens from this location. 15 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 3: This is finally a show about a cat wrangler in Brooklyn. 16 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 3: Heidi Sisto documents her work with a tea that catches 17 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 3: stray cats and kittens on her Instagram Heidi Wrangles Cats. 18 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 2: Hello, So what we're listening to currently is some kittens 19 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:17,760 Speaker 2: that just got brought to me that are confused and 20 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:18,919 Speaker 2: crying when. 21 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 1: They're little crates. Heidi Wrangles Cats is you can call 22 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: it an organization, but it's really just me that focuses 23 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: on TNR trap new to return fostering adoptions, all with 24 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: the big picture goal of reducing the overpopulation crisis that 25 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: we currently have in Brooklyn, New York. The overpopulation crisis 26 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: is a man made problem. Cats are not native to 27 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: the streets of New York. It all started with people 28 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: living in a city having pet cats, not having those 29 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:57,559 Speaker 1: cats fixed, and then having those cats then subsequently live outdoors. 30 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: From there, those cats bread and then bread with their offspring, 31 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: and their offspring breeding with their offspring, and all of 32 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: a sudden you have an explosion in the population. The 33 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: average female cat can have up to four litters per year, 34 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: with litter sizes ranging between three to seven kittens on average. 35 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: So if you do the math, that can become hundreds 36 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: of cats very quickly. But also built into that there 37 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 1: is a very high mortality rate. Up to seventy five 38 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: percent of kittens born outdoors will die before six months 39 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 1: of age, so it's so much suffering, and even with 40 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: that high mortality rate, the population is still exploding. But yeah, 41 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: I mean most rescuers, though, we're just individual people and 42 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 1: we work together. We share resources, like on this recent 43 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:54,959 Speaker 1: trapping project, the other rescuer I'm working with, Suza has 44 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: like a great basement for holding all of the feral 45 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: cats before and after their Spain eater surgery. I love 46 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 1: kittens and I have a huge, you know, soft spot 47 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:06,679 Speaker 1: for kittens. If I do have any sort of like 48 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: quote unquote specialty, it is with kittens specifically. Even though 49 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: I do a little bit of everything, the kittens are 50 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: really like the thing that I go crazy for. Hid 51 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: how did you hear about this particular taste? It was me. 52 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: I am an a rescue group with Heidi. We're like 53 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: a collective of a bunch of independent rescuers. And someone 54 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: contacted me on Instagram. Wow, said, my friend loves on 55 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: the Street and they have a prod colony, are front 56 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: managed and there are a bunch of kittens and we've 57 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: been sitting outside out front for a couple of months 58 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: and we would not get to the rest of the kittens. 59 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: Wou and wait and they wouldn't show up. And so 60 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: we figured. 61 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 4: And this presumably Australian thing, oh Stope was like, you 62 00:03:57,920 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 4: should talk to that guy, and so we just. 63 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: Knocked on this started talking to We literally just went 64 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: to this man's house at nine thirty at night, and 65 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: we're like, do you think cats? Ye? Hello, good Joanna you? 66 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 5: Oh good God? 67 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 1: Do you frequently do count rescue from your home? 68 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 5: Oh? I love you? 69 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 6: Police at the captains. 70 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: Colin, have you been speaking and helping strays from the neighborhood? 71 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 6: I just started if I'm not a pet person before, 72 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 6: actually people, I do my best to help them them 73 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:48,599 Speaker 6: then the best I can't. 74 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 5: I can't do everything, but I just do the best 75 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 5: I can't. My life, I try, I do. Yes, my 76 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 5: pretty babies, oh my next picture, pretty babies the next 77 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 5: or a yeah, A lot of that. 78 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, Gilbert has seen a lot of you have. 79 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 5: Look at the window. They screaming it, but they can't. 80 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 5: They just stuck together. You know. 81 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: I had to come with my glove in the back. 82 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: That's really hard. Someone else told us about pats right 83 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: over there. 84 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 5: Get this, like pl one that one thing. 85 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 6: Just started with two cats five six between the all starts. 86 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: But they were all going like two plus cats in 87 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: a trap. So we're gonna have to after we trap 88 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: everyone sort of redistribute and separate adults and kittens. 89 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 4: So we'll put the food in the back of the 90 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,919 Speaker 4: traps and then we'll have sardines for something a little 91 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 4: extra extra, we're gonna hold This is like the my 92 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 4: favorite way of traps called the bottle string technique. 93 00:05:57,960 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: Do you see that? Like bottle with the strings, use 94 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 1: of bottles to hold the doors open. We thread them 95 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: all to that window, we set them, we run inside. 96 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: We watched from the window, and then when as many 97 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:10,919 Speaker 1: cats as possible are all in the traps at the 98 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,599 Speaker 1: same time, we pull all the strings and all the 99 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: doors close at once. Probably will take more than one 100 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 1: pull obviously to get all the cats because there's a 101 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 1: few full five strings. 102 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 6: Okay, asking me like, how are you going gag the 103 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 6: team effort as you can. 104 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 1: With each other exactly. Yeah, this is my favorite of 105 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: trap is with trap training. Get the cats used to 106 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 1: the traps also because they know Gilbert. But they're already 107 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: pretty trusting, Like this is where they eat every single day, 108 00:06:55,440 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: so they're pretty good them. Do you want to When 109 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: I was in you know, high school, imagining my passions, 110 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: it was always in like fashion and photography. Never thought 111 00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: that cat rescue would be my future or my profession 112 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: by any means. My parents have cats. My dad's a 113 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 1: cat guy. He's a cat dad. He's like done the 114 00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: thing where he's like turn them into dogs and like 115 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 1: train them to walk on leashes and teaches them to 116 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: do tricks and they can like shake and stand for 117 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: treats because that's just like my dad's energy. So yeah, 118 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: so he's definitely like a cat man. But I was 119 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: never like, oh, this crazy cat person at all. So yeah, 120 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: so it's all started with me just seeing cats on 121 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: the street in my neighborhood and feeling bad about it 122 00:07:47,040 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: and scooping them and bringing them into my house and 123 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: then not really knowing what to do but figuring it out. 124 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: And then yeah, from there it's grown into what I 125 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: kind of jokingly refer to as a cat empire that 126 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: I run o y the traps right now, he's just 127 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: staring at us. Don't look at him. I got a bunch, Ok, 128 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: we got a few. So right now we're covering the 129 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: traps with sheets to keep everybody calm, chills them out, 130 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: less stressful for them. So basically, the adults go back 131 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 1: to Susas and we have more spain Ud appointments tomorrow 132 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,000 Speaker 1: for them, and then the kittens come back to my place. 133 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:00,599 Speaker 1: Can you grab the one that's nothing. 134 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 5: At any right here, I'm right y, I'm right over 135 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:11,679 Speaker 5: right best ya m I'm daddy, I'm right here, I'm 136 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 5: right here, I'm right here, I'm right here. Go ahead, 137 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 5: I'm right here. I just don't wanna be hurried down. 138 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 5: Say I don't want it. Gonna be safe and things 139 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 5: out the home they eating? Can they gonna eating good? 140 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,760 Speaker 1: You know, how do you feel watching them getting? 141 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 5: I fell so bad? I wanna cry so bad, I say, 142 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 5: I w I really really, I really I feel a couple. 143 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 5: I really do. But I said, fist stop for him, 144 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:32,880 Speaker 5: though you know I full stop from him. I mean no, 145 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:34,959 Speaker 5: I really do. I'm really full side for Soody, full 146 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 5: sick for him. But long needs safe. I'm good, Yeah, 147 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 5: I can, I got the best good. I'm good. Oh, 148 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:45,320 Speaker 5: I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. I'm a best him 149 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 5: dog lo I ship every day I feel every day. 150 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: You know. 151 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 5: I'm good, I'm good. 152 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. 153 00:09:56,480 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 5: I'll be okay. I go up here. You're doing a 154 00:09:58,520 --> 00:09:59,360 Speaker 5: past that you. 155 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:03,360 Speaker 1: Have you thought about keeping one as a pet? 156 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 5: I remember here, it's gonna be Yeah. 157 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: You know. 158 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 6: You don't like cats. He basically told me, like what, 159 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:21,079 Speaker 6: we'll come here and take it. Friends, Oh that's a 160 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 6: fat wed Yeah. 161 00:10:24,679 --> 00:10:25,679 Speaker 5: Exactly, Red yea. 162 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: So do you think the same thing will happen again 163 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: next year? 164 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 6: You'll take care of them call have them good, even 165 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:34,839 Speaker 6: though it is a little heartbreaking. 166 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 5: I will. They're just going to have such happy, love 167 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 5: filled lives and someone's home like that. 168 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: Like that good work. So okay, so put me in 169 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: the group chat. 170 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:49,720 Speaker 5: I would. I'm totally happy to not go to CAF tomorrow. 171 00:10:51,360 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 1: The people who feed cats usually get very emotionally attached 172 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: to them, for sure. There's It's interesting the people who 173 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: feed cats and the people who do have rescue are 174 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:03,319 Speaker 1: usually not the same and are usually very different. You'd 175 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 1: think it'd be one and the same, right, Like the 176 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: people who feed the cats are the people who trap 177 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: the cats and the people who rescue cats. But actually 178 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: it's really not. But yeah, definitely, the feeders tend to 179 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: be a lot more emotionally invested. It does tend to 180 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: be that a lot of feeders are just like oftentimes 181 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: lower income people who have lived in the neighborhood for 182 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,000 Speaker 1: a really long time, who just see the cats every 183 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: single day in their backyards. And then you know, trappers 184 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 1: are just like bored white ladies with a lot of 185 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: free time and a lot of you know, dispensable income. 186 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: That's like the stereotypes I would say, there's obviously rich 187 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:47,839 Speaker 1: feeders and trappers. Who are you know? I mean, I 188 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: do think though, we kind of start from very similar 189 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: places of like just seeing a cat on the street 190 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: and feeling compassionate about it and you know, feeding it, 191 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:00,599 Speaker 1: wanting to take care of it. So I think we 192 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 1: all start from the same place. And then I think 193 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: the people who end up doing cat rescue end up 194 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: just like branching out beyond that and you know, doing 195 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:15,000 Speaker 1: tn R doing rescue. And then I just think as 196 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: time goes on, the more you do it, the more 197 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,079 Speaker 1: you do get like a little bit more calloused, and 198 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: and so you kind of like you you veeer in 199 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: like different directions a little bit. The people right now, 200 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:37,880 Speaker 1: I just need to be realistic about my strength. I 201 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:41,040 Speaker 1: have a BFA and photography. That's why I moved to 202 00:12:41,280 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: New York to pursue and then after college I worked 203 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: for eight years for an independent women's ward designer. So 204 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: all of the photography for the website, you know, handling 205 00:12:53,480 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: all of the online sales, the marketing, the social media, 206 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 1: worked there for eight years and was doing that wall 207 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:04,679 Speaker 1: rescuing cats the entire time, and it definitely got to 208 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: a point where having a full time day job and 209 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:11,079 Speaker 1: rescuing cats was just way too much to do. Four 210 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:13,959 Speaker 1: years ago I really started realizing, like, oh no, I 211 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 1: just want to be a cat rescuer. It's so it's 212 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 1: it's very fulfilling to rescue cats. Actually I went part 213 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 1: time for six months before actually quitting, just to see, 214 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: you know, to like slowly basically see if financially I 215 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:30,920 Speaker 1: could do it, and I could. Some months obviously have 216 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,680 Speaker 1: been leaner than others. But now it's been a little 217 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: over two years since I quit my day job. My 218 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 1: income comes from social media, so that's you know, that's photography, 219 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:45,199 Speaker 1: that's videos, and you know, it's working. It's I'm here, 220 00:13:45,280 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: I'm doing it, I'm paying my bills, and I'm helping cats. 221 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 1: So it scratches the creative side of my brain as 222 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 1: well as like I have a very problem solving brain 223 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: as well. So I'm like very fulfilled and very satisfied. 224 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: A critical part of cat rescue is working with your community. 225 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:10,319 Speaker 1: Especially as a white person working in neighborhoods of color, 226 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: I can't just go around trapping cats because you know 227 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:19,120 Speaker 1: there are indoor outdoor pets, there are bodega cats, or 228 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: even just like people like Gilbert if one day all 229 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: of his cats went missing and he didn't know why, 230 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: like that would crush him. So doing cat rescue responsibly 231 00:14:27,560 --> 00:14:30,760 Speaker 1: means working with your community and talking to people, like 232 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: I'll knock on a door any day. I definitely get 233 00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: butterflies right before knocking on a stranger's door, and it's 234 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: like that exact moment of like walking up the stairs 235 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:43,960 Speaker 1: to someone's front door, I definitely get really nervous, but 236 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: then usually the second they open the door, I just like, 237 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: I'm like, hey, like I live in the neighborhood and 238 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 1: I rescue cats. And someone told me that, you know 239 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: there's cats on this block, and I was wondering if 240 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 1: you do anything about them, if you feed them, And 241 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: then I get pretty comfortable once I'm actually like doing 242 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:02,680 Speaker 1: my spiel 's actually because ninety five percent of the 243 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: time people are so receptive and so happy for someone 244 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: to be interested in helping the cats. I've had a 245 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: small percentage of time where people have been really against 246 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: the cats being trapped, and that sucks. I have an 247 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: aries Moon so though, so I can actually be extremely 248 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: combative if I'm in that situation. I don't back down easily, 249 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: so for better or worse. So I've definitely had a 250 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: couple of times where I've like people have yelled at me, 251 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,640 Speaker 1: and I can I hold my ground pretty easily. But 252 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 1: then other times, like you know, like one time, this 253 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: woman was feeding a lot of cats and she was 254 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: like a very sweet woman, but she was an Orthodox 255 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: Jew and she was extremely against taking away their reproductive rights. 256 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: And you know, there was no yelling, nothing like we were. 257 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,080 Speaker 1: It was a very civilized conversation. She actually started like 258 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: like weeping at the thought of taking away their right 259 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: to have children. And she was like crying and very 260 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: upset at the idea. And you know, I tried to 261 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 1: explain and at that point, like you just have to 262 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: choose your battles. And there are so many cats in 263 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: Brooklyn that I can trap somewhere else where there's a 264 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: feeder who like is like Gilbert, who's super grateful for 265 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: the help. So when I do encounter those situations where 266 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: a feeder is really does not want their cats trapped, 267 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,680 Speaker 1: you know, you can only do so much because the 268 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: people who feed the cats, see the suffering, they see 269 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: them dying, they want the cats to get help. They 270 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,240 Speaker 1: care about the cats. Also, there is like the stereotype 271 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:56,320 Speaker 1: that cats help the rats, and cats can help the 272 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: rat situation a little bit, but cats are not. That's 273 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: like another kind of like news thing where cats are 274 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: not decimating entire rat populations. So a lot of times 275 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:08,320 Speaker 1: people will be like, don't we don't want the cats fix. 276 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,879 Speaker 1: We want more cats because they control the rats and 277 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:13,520 Speaker 1: you know, but and I say, like, okay, well, the 278 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: faral cats are coming back, but some of them take 279 00:17:15,840 --> 00:17:17,160 Speaker 1: it to the next level where they're like they don't 280 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:18,760 Speaker 1: want them fixed because they just want more and more 281 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: cats for the rats. But rats that have ingested rat 282 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: poison kills cats. 283 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 3: Uh. 284 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: And it's really sad. Yeah, it's not, it's all bad news. 285 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:34,120 Speaker 1: It's it's just sort of like a narrow mindset because 286 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: then what about the cat's quality of life? You know, 287 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: like that matters too, what about all the kittens that 288 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 1: die before adulthood, because it's just not a life. So 289 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: that's what I'm trying to do emotionally, one thing that 290 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:57,359 Speaker 1: people don't prepare you for, and also that people don't 291 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,959 Speaker 1: really talk about is actually compassion fatigue is a very 292 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: real thing with a lot of rescues, where because we 293 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: see so much suffering on a daily basis, we become 294 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,120 Speaker 1: a little bit numb to it, and I would say 295 00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 1: a little bit calloused. We see so many suffering sick 296 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 1: cats and kittens all the time, and it makes you, unfortunately, 297 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: you know, a lot less compassionate towards humans. I would say, 298 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: because you can only there's only so much that you 299 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:33,280 Speaker 1: can care about. And also in cat rescue, we see 300 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 1: the way humans fail cats, both indirectly and also very directly. 301 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 1: We have a big problem in York with cats getting 302 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: dumped and abandoned, people just kicking them out, people moving 303 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: and leaving them behind. It's very very common. So seeing 304 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: that like direct neglect and cruelty on a daily basis 305 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: makes it hard to like people question. Most feral cats 306 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 1: will be like paper weights in the trap, will just 307 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:22,520 Speaker 1: be these scared, little silent rocks. And if you ever 308 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 1: have a cat that's like yowing a bunch and like 309 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: thrashing around and being really vocal, that is almost a 310 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: guarantee it's a friendly cat, because friendly cats meow. Humans 311 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 1: and feral ones will just be a little paperweights. I 312 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:45,360 Speaker 1: had a roommate for a while who I like asked. 313 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:47,119 Speaker 1: I was like, there's a cat outside, Can I bring 314 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 1: him in? And she was like no. And then when 315 00:19:49,080 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: I moved into the apartment I'm in now because I've 316 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:52,760 Speaker 1: been in my current place for like eleven years or so. 317 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:55,240 Speaker 1: And then the next cat I saw outside, I just 318 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: picked it up and carried it home in my arms. 319 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:00,720 Speaker 1: And that actually ended up being someone's lost and it 320 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,600 Speaker 1: was Microchip and we well, we were able to reunite 321 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:07,080 Speaker 1: it with its owner, so that was yeah, that was 322 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 1: like my gateway. It was like this long, beautiful, long 323 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:10,879 Speaker 1: haired Calico cat and it was like in the pouring rain, 324 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,960 Speaker 1: and it was like yeah, and then it like was 325 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 1: like following us, like up the block and then I 326 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 1: was like, okay, you come with me, and I just 327 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: like pitched up and carried it home. And that's how 328 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:20,360 Speaker 1: I rescued my first few cats. Actually, when I would 329 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,399 Speaker 1: be in the neighborhood like walking home from like a 330 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:25,320 Speaker 1: party drunk, and I would just like chase cats around 331 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,560 Speaker 1: and like grab them in my arms and carry them home. 332 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 1: And then I like reached out to her rescue group 333 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:32,399 Speaker 1: and I was like, I got this cat, what do 334 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 1: I do? Like, can you guys help me get it adopted? 335 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:37,160 Speaker 1: And so then they kind of like took me under 336 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: their wing and like taught me about n R. And 337 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: so then I just slowly overtimed just sort of like 338 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: grew and grew, and then I fostered for for that 339 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 1: rescue that I reached out to, like once the cats 340 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 1: that I had myself found God adopted. But then over 341 00:20:53,640 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: time I kind of grew to the point of now 342 00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:00,879 Speaker 1: people foster for me. I'm over the bad mentor though 343 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: don't tell anyone that. Like, everyone has their skill sets 344 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: in this life, and I'm so grateful to the people 345 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 1: the rescuers who you know, taught me everything that I 346 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: know and like mentored me. But when it comes to 347 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:12,600 Speaker 1: like one on one, I'm not good at that. It's 348 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: not my skill set. Do you feel like maybe you're 349 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:19,840 Speaker 1: like a cat and you like to operate alone a 350 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,440 Speaker 1: little bit? Definitely? I would say it's that's actually a 351 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: really common personality trait of cat rescuers. None of us 352 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:31,040 Speaker 1: have social skills, Like we're all definitely like a little 353 00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 1: bit introverted. There's exceptions, of course, but a lot of us, yeah, 354 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: are like weird introverts who don't have social skills, and 355 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: I definitely fit that stereotype of like I, yeah, we 356 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: we like animals, and a lot of us don't, like 357 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: don't necessarily aren't good with people. That's ups you know, 358 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. 359 00:21:59,400 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 5: Thank you. 360 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,120 Speaker 1: This is this book is like eight hundred dollars worth 361 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: of can mets. What medicine is it. It's for FIP treatment. 362 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: It is the mutation of the feeling coronavirus and it 363 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: kills cats, and for a long time it was a 364 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: death sentence. But thanks to a new groundbreaking treatment is 365 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: eighty four days and it's really expensive. And I have 366 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 1: two cats currently getting FIP treatment, so it's like easily 367 00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: probably like between the two of them, like five grand 368 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 1: or something. So yeah, so this box of meds alone 369 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: is eight hundred bucks and I've been waiting for I 370 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: need it, so I'm really glad I got it. But 371 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: the thing also about this med is that it's not 372 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,680 Speaker 1: like legal in the United States. That's cannot prescribe it. 373 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,000 Speaker 1: That's will recommend the treatment, but they cannot prescribe it, 374 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: so you have to get it from like the there's 375 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: like a Facebook group where you can get like these 376 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: black market FIP drugs that are really expensive. So we're like, 377 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 1: I got this box, I got to carry those six kids. 378 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:05,120 Speaker 1: Oh my god, there's something. 379 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:10,160 Speaker 5: Yeah. 380 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: My life definitely revolves around cats, and my schedule revolves 381 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 1: around cats. I don't have a nine to five by 382 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 1: any means. And I would say especially, I mean, I 383 00:23:20,760 --> 00:23:23,879 Speaker 1: would say my life mainly revolves around like vet appointments, 384 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,879 Speaker 1: and I will say when it comes to vet appointments, 385 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 1: I am never late. I am always fifteen minutes early 386 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,040 Speaker 1: because I care so much about that, But when it 387 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 1: comes to social things, I am always late. And really 388 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 1: it's to the cats. The cats always just come first, 389 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: So I can appairently. I can be on time for cats, 390 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,240 Speaker 1: I just can't be on time for anything else. I 391 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:48,600 Speaker 1: have more than usual because I just have taken on 392 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,159 Speaker 1: ten kittens in a matter of like forty eight hours, 393 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: so we're a little bit more than normal. Hopefully soon 394 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:05,159 Speaker 1: we'll get them ushered out into foster. So I have 395 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: a three bedroom apartment, but I only have one roommate, 396 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 1: so I have a cat room. So we're gonna set 397 00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: everyone up in the cat room right now, which you 398 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:15,720 Speaker 1: will see. I have a roommate for a really long time. 399 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: It's only been a cat room for like a year 400 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 1: and a half, and it's been like the best thing ever. 401 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:25,000 Speaker 1: My apartment would be even here if I didn't have 402 00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: the cats. I definitely have had to like cater my 403 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,200 Speaker 1: life to the cats, obviously, but it's important to me 404 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:32,680 Speaker 1: to be clean and be q and this is my home, 405 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,720 Speaker 1: like I you know, I take pride in it. I 406 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: do still have a social life. I have friends that 407 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,440 Speaker 1: are both cat rescuers and I have friends that don't 408 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: even particularly like cats. Dating wise, I mean, I am 409 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:50,679 Speaker 1: a very I've been single for a very long time. 410 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: I've been single for like a decade. But it's not 411 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: really related to the cats. Actually, it's just my personality. 412 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:01,960 Speaker 1: I'm an extremely independent person, so dating has always been 413 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: not a priority even before the cats, and definitely the 414 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: cats are an issue. One thing, like the line I 415 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: always I draw is that I don't like to have 416 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: a guy spend the night if I have a litter 417 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,639 Speaker 1: box in my bedroom, because a lot of times I 418 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: have a cat that'll be isolated to my bedroom for 419 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: various reasons, which means there's a litter box in there, 420 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:23,080 Speaker 1: and so that's the way I draw the line. I'll 421 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 1: have a guy over if I don't have a litter 422 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: box in my bedroom. But if I do have a 423 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 1: litter box in my bedroom, then no men may enter 424 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: my bedroom because I just you know, I just would 425 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:38,240 Speaker 1: be too insecure about it. I know, Pixel or this 426 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:42,000 Speaker 1: desk and all the kittens in the world, I'm not 427 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 1: used to seeing a baby kitten with a cone on 428 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,880 Speaker 1: its head. She's the most pitiful kitten of all time. 429 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: So Pixel had an abscess on her arm and she 430 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,199 Speaker 1: has to be in a cone for two weeks as 431 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: a result, and I. 432 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 7: Can't have her in just a boling cone. We had 433 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:07,920 Speaker 7: to get cute ones for just the cutest, tinyus little 434 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 7: baby cones. 435 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, it's justn't get any cutter the nuts. 436 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:20,160 Speaker 1: So this one's a pink flower cone and this one's 437 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 1: a yellow sunflower cone. Which one do we want to 438 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: try on her first? Oh my god, she's so cute. Yeah, 439 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:43,680 Speaker 1: pink flower for the wind, Yeah, the motor going most likely. Yeah, 440 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,119 Speaker 1: this will be my whole life. Maybe when I'm old, 441 00:26:47,119 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 1: I'll be doing I don't know, something different. My passion 442 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: is just like see a cat and help a cat. 443 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:55,280 Speaker 1: I don't plan on ever stopping rescuing cats. 444 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 2: It is currently eleven thirty pm, just about and I 445 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 2: have just finished scooping all the litter boxes and feeding 446 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 2: all the cats, and now it's finally time for me 447 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:12,880 Speaker 2: to get myself ready for bed. 448 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: Now I am very very ready to crash.