Key West has a long tradition of welcoming all of its global neighbors and the acceptance of diversity that comes with it. The “live and let live” attitude of its inhabitants is the foundation of the official City philosophy, “One Human Family”.
Only, Key West being what it is, this compassionate attitude extends beyond the human, to “all creatures great and small”. Here, even the animals are equal. Case in point being the free-ranging chickens and cats.
But this is about the cats. More on the chickens in a future blog.
The island is populated—some would say overpopulated—with feral cats, who roam the island at will, finding sympathetic residents to feed and dote on them. Many have adopted multiple households and daily follow a culinary circuit of dependable handouts – a feline progressive dinner, if you will.
Kittybooger's notched ear: proof of membership in the TNR sorority!
The success of Key West’s no-kill animal shelter is largely attributable to the community’s trap-neuter-return (TNR) program. To prevent too many unwanted kittens, the females are methodically trapped, spayed, and released with a notched ear to indicate their new reproductive status.
Kittybooger was in residence when Allen and I moved into the Varela Street compound. Our next door neighbor told us of capturing her for the TNR program, along with a litter of kittens, as they camped out under our then-vacant house, shortly before we arrived. Ever since, we have fed her but she has never allowed us close enough to touch.
On a Home Depot run yesterday, there in the garden shop was a flourishing pot of catnip, amongst the usual springtime offerings of starter pots of chives, lettuce, and tomatoes. Having never been owned by a cat before, so not really knowing what to expect, Allen brought it home for Kittybooger as a treat.
She reveled in the few leaves tossed on the pool deck for her investigation, becoming instantly delirious. Her eyes glazed over as she wallowed rapturously around in the sunshine and shredding greenery, oblivious to all but the intoxicating high she was experiencing. As night fell, the plant was added to a tabletop garden of potted kitchen herbs on the porch, little further thought being given to it.
The party's over.
This morning’s walk to the front gate to fetch the newspaper revealed quite a surprise! Kittybooger had apparently had a nocturnal foray into the “herb garden”, and completely trashed the pot of catnip. I guess we’re going to have to put the remnants into a hanging basket to allow it to recover. From now on, we’ll be administering Kittybooger’s recreational drugs in more controlled doses!
