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'Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission: to be of service to them whenever they require it.' - St Francis of Assisi

Bartering in Lima

PERU | Tuesday, 9 May 2006 | Views [296] | Comments [2]

My hostel in Lima “The Flying Dog” has a very chilled out resident ginger tom cat called ‘Slappers’. What a unique & novel name & surely the 1^st I’ve met. Slappers is a rather relaxed individual who ambles about the hostel & sleeps draped over the computer on the reception desk. He annoys no one except for his unpleasant habit of peeing in the hotel plants. Fair enough when you have to go, you have to go. But with Slappers being an entire tom cat when he goes to the loo you really know about it. It STINKS! Almost enough to scare away the guests. And it’s a smell that lingers without quite giving away its definitive location. Any vet can distinguish that stench a mile away.

Never one to let the opportunity pass, I offer to castrate poor old Slappers. Apparently I am not the first to want to do this task. A Kiwi backpacker suggested that if someone holds Slapper or puts his head in a gum boot (Slapper’s that is), he’ll ‘give him the chop’. I don’t know if he was planning on using his teeth. I’m not sure that Slappers would have hung around for that caper.

Obtaining the necessary anaesthetic agents was surprising easy in Lima… apart from the 40 minute bus journey into central Lima sucking on diesel fumes & wondering how close CAN you get to oncoming traffic before you collide. The driver was also interested in testing this theory to the extreme.

Somehow Slappers got wind of the plan & when I returned to the hostel with cat castrating bootie in hand, he shot out the window onto the roof & glared down at me with a malevolent stare.

I have a lot of patience, & the next morning when he returned for his breakfast he was duly caught, anaesthetized & the deed completed. Everyone was happy, I got a discounted bed, & Slappers thwarted the threat of eviction.

Tags: work, animals

Comments

1

Hello Vet!,

In the cat vs. dog lovers camp, I'm definitely on the side of the aloof felines. Glad to hear however, that Slapper can no longer produce any mini-slappers and as a bonus, everyone's nostrils are saved the appaling stench of tom-cat.
Speaking of which, I counted (smelled?) no less than 14 strays in my back lane last week. The council offered me one of those cat-traps you speak of... but I'm not sure exactly what I'm meant to do with the ones I catch. Are you sure there's no outreach service available in Sydney? Your skills would be most welcome!

Glad to read that all is well.
Take care.

crustyadventures May 10, 2006 4:59 PM

2

Hi Christy
Wow 14 stray cats...I think I'm in the wrong country!
Unfortunately I would imagine that after you trap the cats the council will have them euthanased (unless any of them are very friendly & can be re homed).
And for the population dynamics, euthanasing street animals does not decrease the long term population - new cats will move into the area...sorry! Studies have shown neutering programs to be the most effective & humane method of reducing street animal populations. I'll search on the internet & see if I can find any helpful groups in Sydney.

nomad_vet May 16, 2006 4:01 PM