stray cats

Clare’s Story

/ rachelgoes262 / Leave a comment
Clare is the cat that started all the neighbor drama. I had seen her briefly throughout the fall and winter of 2021. I figured she was homeless. Who in their right mind would let an indoor/outdoor cat outside in weather that was 20 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit)? No one. Seeing Clare outside is what prompted me to start providing insulated cat shelters to try to help her until I could figure out what to do.
 
I do know there are some “community cats.” There is the concept of trap-neuter-release. I do understand TNR on some level, but at the same time, I strongly feel that every cat deserves a loving home. It is not their fault they are homeless and on the streets. I also am strongly against animal cruelty. If I see an animal in pain or distress, I am going to do what I can to help.
 
One day in winter (now 2022), Clare appeared on my front porch and appeared to have been spray painted green. It was honestly hard to tell against the backdrop of the green outside carpet on my porch. However, when I saw Clare outside against the white of snow, it was obvious she was spray painted green. Why? Why would someone spray paint a cat? To me, this seemed strange. It also felt like animal abuse to me. Cats should not be spray painted. In addition to being spray painted green, Clare appeared to have injuries to her back end that were difficult to see from a distance, but obvious when she was walking.
 
Locally, our SPCA and Sheriff Department have the authority to investigate and respond to animal cruelty cases. I reached out to the SPCA and explained the situation to them. I let them know that Clare appeared to be injured on her back end and should receive medical care. The SPCA told me that the injuries and spray painting were all normal for outside cats and that “she would adapt.” After all, the person laughed, “cats don’t feel pain.”
 
As a cat mom of over 20 years, I found this to be alarming. Cats do feel pain. There was something wrong with this situation. I started to research how to trap outside cats so that I could catch Clare and get her medical attention. I also started calling around to all other animal shelters and rescues within a 50-mile radius. Many told me that I was out of their area. Shelters only cover a certain geographic area – typically the county in which they are located. 
 
Then I happened to remember that there is a second cat shelter in my county that is a small, private non-profit. I reached out to them and explained the situation. The people at this rescue were appalled at the situation. They explained to me that cats are typically spray painted when they are used as bait for dog fighting rings. It is rare to find spray painted cats, as they are almost always killed as part of the dog fighting ring. However, finding a spray-painted cat is a clear indication that there is an active dog fighting ring in the area.
 
The non-profit rescue (called SNAP) lent me a humane trap and worked with me to trap Clare. They took her in, got her medical care, and she became part of their rescue. The veterinarians who volunteer their time and services there confirmed that her injuries were consistent with being used as bait in a dog fighting ring, and that there were other, older injuries present as well.
 
After getting Clare to rescue, I started to notice other outside cats hanging around that seemed homeless. Almost all of them appeared with injuries to their back ends like what I had seen on Clare.
 
I reached out to SNAP again. Since taking Clare into rescue, they have taken an additional four cats from me that I have been able to trap. They have given them all medical care and they have been adopted into loving homes. One older cat, Tom, is even called the King of Main Street! He lives on Main Street with his owner and looks out the window at everyone walking by. People like to wave at him. His owner says he is the perfect lap cat. 
 
For everyone says that “Community cats” should be left outside in colonies as part of TNR, I respectfully disagree. 
 
There are now two cats left. Flower was kicked out from the house next door and they have since moved. I estimate Flower to be at least 6-7 years old. All the times I have set the traps for outside cats, I have yet to catch Flower. It has always been whichever cat ends up in the trap is the one that goes to rescue. Flower has never gone into the trap. I wish she would.
 
A few years ago, she showed up with a broken front leg one winter. I still could not trap her to get her medical care. 
 
A small dark tabby has appeared this summer. I call him Crosby. He is cross-eyed and has the same injuries to his back end that were seen on Clare and all of the others. Crosby is young – he is playful as a kitten. He chases squirrels and leaves. I estimate him to be one year old at most.
 
Flower and Crosby are the last two cats remaining to trap and get to safety. The problem is that SNAP is full. They have been full for a year now. All the local shelters are full. 
 
SNAP knows that Flower and Crosby are here. They know there is a dog fighting ring. However, they cannot take either Crosby or Flower due to no space.
 
Since my interaction with the SPCA, a few things have happened on the dog fighting ring front. First, it was in the news this summer that the SPCA fired their humane officer and is in danger of closing. They did not give explicit details, but I am wondering if it has anything to do with the refusal to look into the dog fighting ring or active involvement.
 
The second thing is that I had an interaction with the Sheriff department last year regarding animal cruelty. The officer accused me of lying. They said that it is no big deal because “cats don’t feel pain.” They used that exact phrase. It’s the same phrase the SPCA used when I had called them originally to report a spray-painted cat with injuries. 
 
“Cats don’t feel pain,” is the exact phrase that law enforcement is using to justify animal cruelty. 
 
SNAP knows that Flower and Crosby are here and will let me know when they have space to take one of them. When they do have space, I will set the live trap. Whoever goes into the live trap goes to rescue. 
 
The challenge is that SNAP has been full and does not show signs of having space any time soon. 
 
I am willing to trap either Flower or Crosby to get them to a loving home if I can find someone to take one or both that is trustworthy. The challenges with that are: one, finding someone willing to take one of them and two, properly vetting any potential person would provide a safe home. We are already dealing with a dog fighting ring here. I don’t want Flower or Crosby to go to a home where they will be abused, tortured or murdered. 
 
Given the abuse we have been experiencing with the neighbors since June 2023, we may have to move. If we do move, I want to get Flower and Crosby off the streets before we leave this house. Even if we do not leave this house, I want to get Flower and Crosby off the streets. But if we need to move for our own safety, then it will lend even more urgency to getting Flower and Crosby to safety. 
 
I am not going to leave this house and leave them behind to fend for themselves. My garage is a place of refuge for them where they get fresh food and water every day and there are insulated cat shelters to help them survive winter.
 
For Flower specifically, based on how I see her act outside, I think she would do best in a home that does not have a lot of other cats. Flower is okay with Crosby. However, she seems to get overwhelmed if there are a lot of other cats around. Flower would be okay as an only or with one other cat who was not aggressive. She is very shy. That brings a challenge also. 
 
In getting back to Clare’s story, I wonder if the fact I reported a dog fighting ring is what prompted the attacks we are experiencing from the neighbors that are causing our physical injuries. They are retaliating against me for my report by physically attacking me and injuring me and my inside cats.
 
In addition, why do they need to play music so loud? Is the loud music masking the sounds of the dog fighting ring when they have an active fight going on? I don’t have an answer. That is speculation.
 
The only thing I know for certain is that I found a spray-painted cat with injuries. Since then, I have found other cats with injuries too. I have trapped them as I am able and gotten them to medical care. I provide my garage as a safe place of refuge. That is the best I can do. 
 
If you have any leads to get Flower and / or Crosby off the streets, I am open. The closest cities to me are Ithaca / Binghamton, NY. Please be aware that I will thoroughly vette any potential home. If I catch them and get them to someone privately, I will have very high standards for a potential home. To be honest, I am not comfortable trying to home them myself, as I am worried about putting them in a bad situation. However, with SNAP being full, I am open to ideas to help get them into safe homes.
 
The problem with the neighbors started with Clare. Of course, it did not start with Clare herself. The neighborhood here is very bad. Clare just brought to my attention that something is wrong, and I reported it. Ever since, I have been dealing with harassment from the neighbors for reporting. The loud music could potentially be to cover up the dog fighting ring.
 
I have no regrets about reporting Clare’s injuries, trapping her, or getting her to safety. I have no regrets about getting any of the five cats I have helped get to safety. There is still Flower and Crosby left to help. 

Last Stray Surviving – Flower’s Story

/ rachelgoes262 / 2 Comments

This spring, the dog fighting ring amped up their pursuit of Kenny. They came at night quite a few times yelling, “here kitty kitty.” As soon as I turned on lights and went outside, they ran off. Kenny was on a schedule. Since being thrown from a truck last year, Kenny has lived in my garage.

I would see Kenny every morning and night. I would see Kenny playing in the yard during the day. Kenny slept in the insulated cat shelters in my garage at night. Kenny is super friendly and I was certain that when the shelter had space to take one of the strays from me in January, that Kenny would go.

In January, I trapped Tom instead of Kenny. That’s ok. Tom has since been adopted into a loving forever home. He is known as the “King of South Main” as he loves to look out the windows of his home and watch people go by.

Kenny is the friendliest stray that has ever been around here. The shelter has been inundated with kitten season and had no space for Kenny. While waiting for space, I decided to put the extra cat carrier in the garage for Kenny to explore so that when it came time to trap Kenny to take to the shelter, things would go smoothly.

Putting the cat carrier in the garage was a brilliant idea. I was able to just put Kenny in the cat carrier without even using the humane trap. Through the power of Cats of Twitter, I was able to get Kenny to a foster family who is caring for Kenny until adopted into a loving forever home.

Surprise! Kenny is a girl and has been spayed. I thought Kenny was a boy, as there have been no kittens. I was wrong. Kenny is a girl, and they are keeping her name. Kenny is safe in foster awaiting to be adopted. She is safe from the dog fighting ring. Kenny is now the fourth cat I have saved from the dog fighting ring.

That means that the last stray surviving is Flower. Flower is one of my originals that has been here since I bought the house almost five years ago. As soon as the shelter has space, I hope to trap Flower to get her off the streets and away from the dog fighting ring. 

This is Flower’s story. I have pieced it together by talking to neighbors. I always talk to neighbors when I see cats outside to try to ascertain whether they have homes or are truly homeless. 

Flower used to live in the house next to me. She is a spayed female. She has a docked tail. She was named “Mr. Pickle Bottom.” Flower was kicked out of the house next door permanently for “scratching the baby.” For the record, those children probably tortured poor Flower. These are the children who took a screwdriver to my other neighbors steps, causing the neighbor to fall and become injured, spending several months in a physical rehab facility. These are the children who took a baseball bat to the side of my house. I’m sure Flower did not just randomly scratch the baby.

The family that kicked Flower out of the house has since moved. That house is now occupied by the only nice neighbors on the street. 

So, Flower has been on the streets for at least the past 5 years fending for herself. 

Two years ago in the winter, Flower had a broken front arm. Even with a broken arm, I could not catch Flower. The arm healed. Flower still walks and runs with a limp. Flower comes to my garage for food and to sleep in the sun.

Flower is very scared of humans. As soon as I open my door to go outside, Flower runs away. If Flower is in the garage when I take food out, she hides under my car until I leave. The only thing Flower has known from humans is cruelty.

Unlike the four other cats I have caught and gotten to the shelter, Flower is not on a schedule. Sometimes I go two or three days without seeing Flower. She obviously has someplace safe to stay without needing to live in my garage like the other strays have done. 

However, Flower does know my garage is a safe place. She comes for food and water. Sometimes she comes for shelter. Flower does use the insulated cat shelters in the garage. One time when I took food out to the garage, I saw Flower dart out of a cat shelter and hide under my car. 

Many times in the afternoon on my work breaks, I look out the kitchen window and see Flower sunning herself in front of the car just at the garage door. She knows it is a safe place to be where no one will bother her.

There is a neighbor cat, Milo who lives two houses down. Milo is a jerk. I’m pretty sure that Milo is difficult because he has a bad home life. The house where he lives has problems. Milo is an indoor / outdoor cat. He stays in his house in winter and is mostly outside during the summer.

The problem is that Milo bullies Flower. She is terrified of him. If Milo is around, Flower will not come here. 

The cat dynamics were completely different when Tom was here. Tom defended his territory and kept everyone in line. Milo would not come around when Tom was here. Tom got along with Flower and Kenny.  He was protective of them. With Tom gone, there is no one to protect Flower from Milo. If Milo is here, Flower will not come near. She hides in the bushes in front of the house and will not approach the house. 

As soon as the shelter has space, I am hoping to catch Flower to take her in. The challenge is that I have been trapping these cats for five years now, and I have not been able to trap Flower yet. Even when her arm was broken two years ago, I was not able to trap her to get her medical care.

It is easier to trap in winter. Milo stays in his house. The outside strays are more likely to hang around my garage and are easier to trap. I am really hoping to be able to catch Flower sometime this fall or winter. I am really hoping the shelter has space to take her. No cat should have to endure what Flower is living through.

Flower is the last stray surviving in this horrid neighborhood with an active dog fighting ring. The neighbors here are so bad, I must do a bad neighbor disclosure if I sell my house. This is the worst street to live on in our county of 40,000 people. 

My garage is a refuge for Flower and any other cat that needs it. There is fresh food and water daily. There are multiple insulated cat shelters that can be used. The outside cats have been able to survive winter temperatures of -30F by using my shelters. 

I hope I can catch Flower this year and get her into shelter. She deserves to have a human be nice to her at least once in her life. Every cat deserves a loving forever home. 

Kenny’s Story

/ rachelgoes262 / Leave a comment

It was winter 2022, either January or February. I don’t remember which. I work from home, and I sit near a window, so I can see out during the workday. A pickup truck came up the street, stopped, and a few colored items flew out the window. The truck sped off. The colored items that flew out were two kittens who were thrown out of the truck.

From their size, I estimated the kittens were somewhere between 6 months and 1 year old. There was Reba, a pregnant calico. I was able to catch her and get her to the animal shelter. They confirmed she was pregnant at under a year old. The other cat, Kenny, a black and white tuxie, was more elusive. I saw him at a distance, but he would not come close. 

Eventually, Kenny found refuge in my garage. I would see him outside interacting with longtime stray, Tom. Kenny pretty much lives in my garage. He uses the insulated cat shelters. He eats the food I set out. I see him every morning when I set out food and every evening when I bring food inside.

Last fall, about 6 months after being thrown from a truck, Kenny started to come closer to me. He has gotten to the point where he loves to be pet. He rubs up against me and purrs. He loves attention and loves to play.

In January 2023, the shelter had an opening to take another one of the strays I have been helping. I was confident that Kenny would be trapped and go to the shelter to be adopted. Kenny is very friendly and would be a great house cat. He has so much love to give and truly needs a home.

However, Tom was in the trap in January 2023. Tom went to the shelter and has since been adopted into a loving forever home. I am so happy for Tom. He is older, at least 10, with health issues. He was a favorite of shelter staff, as they said he is one of the most gentle strays they have ever taken in to be adopted. He is so happy and loved in his forever home.

Kenny is still here.

I cannot take in a fourth house cat either physically or legally. There is a three pet per house law here. Also, I can say that having three house cats is a definite stretch for me with resources. I do handle it, and I do not regret Jude, Simon or Jolene at all, but I know that I cannot handle a fourth cat. Kenny desperately needs a home, but it cannot be mine.

Kenny has gotten so friendly that he has tried to come into the house. However, I have to close the door instead of letting him in because the inside cats start to chase him, and I cannot have my inside cats escaping outside. Not only would I lose one of my beloved inside cats, but they would chase away Kenny too. Of course, if Kenny came inside, I would not put him out. I would take him to the shelter and insist they take him because he came inside.

The shelter knows that Kenny is here. However, they are too full of kittens right now to take another stray cat from me. Kenny is one of two outside cats that are left I am caring for.

The other outside cat I am still caring for is Flower. I have been caring for Flower for 5 years. Flower used to live in the house next door, until they kicked her out and moved. I want to trap Flower to get her to the shelter too.

Kenny and Flower are the last two outside strays I am helping. As soon as the shelter has space, I will trap one to take for medical care and adoption. Since I have bought this house, I have gotten three outside cats to the shelter for adoption: Reba (thrown from the truck), Tom (one of the original strays with Flower), and Clare (one of the original strays with Flower and Tom). 

There is a sense of urgency in trapping the strays and getting them to the shelter to be adopted. There is a dog fighting ring in the area. They spray paint the stray cats and use them as bait. The SPCA know the dog fighting ring is here, but refuses to do anything about it due to how much money it brings in. Incidentally, the SPCA also just lost their contract to provide services here.

The rescue I work with when I trap the strays and take them to shelter is NOT the SPCA. There is a different, non-profit 100% volunteer run shelter I am working with to find the strays forever homes and rescue them from the dog fighting ring.

I truly worry for Kenny, as he is so friendly. I am hoping to find him a home soon so that he can be out of this area with the dog fighting ring. Not to mention, he is the friendliest of the strays. It is very obvious he had a home once, and wants and needs one again. I am confident that if it were not for my inside cats chasing him away, he would probably come right into my house if I left the door open and let him inside. 

I am really hoping that the shelter will have space to take Kenny this fall. In addition to the dog fighting ring, I am worried about Kenny being abused due to his coloring. Kenny is the sweetest cat and so trusting. He truly deserves a forever home. 

This is Kenny’s story so far. I’m really hoping I can find him a forever home soon. 

The Tale of Tom

/ rachelgoes262 / 1 Comment
Tom, an older tabby, starting to go white with age.

My grandfather immigrated to USA from Austria. In America, he had a farm when I was little. All cats on the farm were outside cats and all cats, regardless of gender or markings, was called Tom. Of course, Tom was short for tomcat. I’m not sure if it was the language, the need to emotionally distance from the multitude of farm animals or what, but every cat was Tom.

When I bought my house a few years ago and moved into the village, it was the first time I remember actually encountering homeless cats first hand. Of course, one of the very first stray cats I encountered here at the house I have named Tom.

Tom is an older tabby. I am pretty sure from watching his habits that he is an unaltered male. Tom is starting to go white around his face, much in the way that Kitty did in his later years. Tom knows that my house and garage are a safe space. He can show up here for a meal and a nap. No one will bother him. 

Over the past few years, I have been trying to trap the stray cats and get them into shelter off the streets. I have a feeling that Tom may be either the last or one of the last ones that I am able to trap to get off the streets. 

You can tell that Tom is very street savvy. He has to be to be able to survive on the streets in this neighborhood as long as he has. I look for the three outside cats “in my care” every day and worry about them when I do not see them.

Tom will watch me if I am outside, but he always keeps a good distance. Any time a newcomer cat comes into the neighborhood, Tom is the one who fights the newcomer and basically tells them this is his territory. I saw Tom fight with a cat who wandered here from two blocks away once. That cat now stays in it’s own area.

Tom gets along well with the other two outside cats I help, Flower and Kenny. Tom seems to know that they need help too. It’s as if Tom knows who belongs here and who does not. That cat from two blocks over has a home. Tom, Flower and Kenny do not have a home. They come here as their place of refuge. I am waiting for the local shelter to have more space so that I can trap one of them and get them off the streets.

I worry about what will happen to Tom, Flower and Kenny if something happens to me. Of course, my priority is Jude, Simon and Jolene. I need to be sure someone takes care of them if something happens to me. But if I was away from home for a few days, there would be no one to feed the outside cats. I worry they would starve. I’m sure Tom would find a way to survive, the scrapper he is. I worry most about Kenny and Flower.

Kenny was thrown out of a pickup truck in our neighborhood in January. He has taken up residence in one of the cat shelters in my garage. He is shy, but friendly. He would definitely be a good adoption with a patient kind person. 

Flower was kicked out of a neighbor house when they had a new baby. Last fall Flower had a broken leg and walks with a limp ever since. Flower tends to stay in this neighborhood. I worry how Flower and Kenny would survive if I was not here to feed them.

I am pretty sure that Tom may wander outside of the neighborhood. There are times when I do go a day without seeing him. I think his range is larger than Flower or Kenny. I would really like to trap Tom, Flower and Kenny and get them into loving homes soon before something happens to me. I cannot imagine leaving this house without being able to find homes for them. 

Flower and Tom are two of the original strays I noticed here when I bought the house. I’m sure that when I am able to trap them and get them into shelter, it will be an emotional time. Every time I see Tom, I think of my grandfather, and how every cat is “Tom.” 

Being on my grandfather’s farm as a child, there were many cats who were “Tom.” However, now, when I think of Tom, I know I will always think of this aging tabby who has defied the odds and not only survived a very rough life on the streets but thrives as well. 

I am grateful for the opportunity I have to try to help Tom in what little ways I can. I provide fresh water and food daily. There are three insulated cat shelters for them to use to have safety from the elements and be warm in the winter. I hope that the local shelter has space soon so that I can get Kenny, Tom and Flower into good, loving homes. 

Every cat deserves a loving home. God bless Tom. 

Tom with Flower
Tom with Kenny

Bad Neighbors 2

/ rachelgoes262 / 2 Comments
Flower, the cat the neighbors kicked out when they had a baby that I have been trying to help.

Bad neighbors 2 sounds like a movie, but it’s not. It’s my life, and it is not funny. In the past 3.5 years I have owned this house, here is a short list of what the neighbors have done to me: taken a baseball bat to the siding on my house, repeatedly left dog shit on my front porch, repeatedly run over my mailbox, blocked my driveway with their vehicles so I am unable to leave for medical appointments, played their drums so loud during work hours I lost one of my jobs, played their drums so loud I had bleeding ears and doctor confirmed permanent hearing damage, repeatedly waived a gun in my face and threatened to shoot me if I asked them to move their car to stop blocking my driveway so I can get out again. 

I know, I know. You’re saying I did something to deserve this, right? What did I do to them to make them do this? 

Well, I feed the stray cat outside that they kicked out of their house when they had a baby. I called animal control on them when they left their dog outside on the porch with no food and water for three days surrounded by it’s own feces. I reported them for running a dog fighting ring in the village and using stray/neighborhood cats as bait. 

That’s what I did that pissed them off. I guess I’m a bad person and deserve to be harassed. 

This month, they not only ran into my mailbox, they drove their vehicle up on to the sidewalk and into the bushes in front of my house. This house has been here for over 100 years, but apparently all of a sudden, it is “in the way.” They are not able to back their truck into the street unless they cross the street, drive on the sidewalk and into the front of my house.

I have had the sheriff out numerous times to make reports. This was the second time they have driven on the sidewalk and into the bushes in front of my house. It was so bad that both the sheriff and I are now worried that the next time they do this (which will be the third time), they will actually drive into the front of the house and kill me.

I can no longer use my front porch. It’s not safe. I could be murdered.

That front porch is one of the reasons I bought this house. I love the front porch. Now I can’t use it because it is not safe for me. The neighbors need to drive into it because it is “in their way.”

I had to completely empty my living room and rearrange all of the furniture in my house. It is too dangerous for the cats and I to be in the living room. If the neighbors decide next time to hit the mailbox, drive on the sidewalk, drive into the bushes and into the front of the house, I could be killed in my own living room.

Again, the living room is a part of the house I love and part of the reason I bought the house. I now have two areas of my own house I cannot even use because I could be murdered by the neighbors. 

The house has been here over 100 years. I’m not sure why it’s in the way now. I don’t understand why the neighbors are not able to back their truck into the street. I guess the street is not big enough. They have to drive it across the street, over the sidewalk and into my house.

The sheriff seems to think they are either driving illegally without a license, driving while drunk/high, or all of the above. However, the sheriff claims they are unable to do anything until the do more damage or actually kill me.

I live in fear in my own house. 

I told the sheriff how they blocked my car and I could not get out for a doctor appointment and had to reschedule the appointment. Do you know how hard it is to get medical care in the pandemic? If you reschedule an appointment, you may be waiting a year before they can see you. 

However, if I even look at this neighbor sideways, they threaten me with their gun. Apparently, this is all legal in the USA. It is legal to threaten your neighbors with a gun. Their vehicle was on my property, but I’m not allowed to ask them to leave my property. They can waive a gun iin my face and there is no consequence.

Welcome to America.

The sheriff has said that when I do sell this house, I will have to do a “bad neighbor” disclosure when I sell. That means that it is driving down the value of my property and will make it harder to sell this house due to being in a bad neighborhood. There should have been a bad neighbor disclosure when I bought this house. However, the person who owned the house died here at age 90 and left the house to family who did not live in the area. I’m sure when they sold it they knew nothing about how bad this neighborhood truly is. Plus, to be honest, we were on the brink of homelessness when I bought this house. We need a place to live. As bad as it is here, we have no place to go.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this house. It’s just in a horrible neighborhood. Unfortunately, real estate is all about location, location, location. It’s just hard for me to love this house, have parts of it I cannot use, and to have to live in a state of fear of being murdered in my own home by the neighbors. Here we are. 

The sheriffs office has all of my reports. If something happens where the neighbors drive into the front of my house again, or I am murdered, at least they will know who did it. 

By the way, the neighbors may be mad that I reported their dog fighting ring, however, nothing has been done to break up the dog fighting ring. Apparently, it “brings in too much money” to be broken up. 

I’m still feeding three outside stray cats and waiting for the local no-kill rescue shelter to have space so I can trap them and get them off the streets. This is what I do that causes the neighbors to terrorize me in my own home. 

One good thing coming out of no longer being able to use my living room or front porch is that I am drastically downsizing in anticipation of a move. I have no idea where we are going or when. I just want to leave. Unfortunately, I bought this house as part of a low-income first-time homebuyer program. If I sell it, I have to pay a penalty of $10,500 in addition to whatever money I lose when I sell the house. 

We need someplace to go first. I bought this house to keep us all together. We were less than 24 hours away from homelessness when I got approved to buy this house. This house is the only thing keeping us together. We can’t leave without someplace to go where we can not only be safe but all stay together.

I’m not sure what to do about the bad neighbors. My goal remains the same as always: outlive the cats so I can keep them together. If that means I have to completely empty my living room and am unable to be in / use that room so that I do not get murdered in my own home when the neighbors drive into the house next time, then so be it.  

The cats and I have to stay together. Right now this house is keeping us together.