There are a group of cat people who try manage feral cat
populations around town. They do so on
their own time and their own dime.
Yesterday, a friend called to ask if I knew anybody who speaks Russian or Polish because there’s a large feral cat colony behind a nearby subsidized housing complex where there are a number of people who only speak either Russian or Polish who are trying to prevent them from them from trapping the cats. They are apparently afraid the cat people want to take them away. They lavish a great deal of affection on the kitties and actually cook treats for them.
I don’t know anyone who
speaks Russian or Polish, but I know how to use Google translator and here’s
what I gave him.
ENGLISH:
We want to help your cats. We take them to the vet to have them neutered and then return them to you.
Please help us.
RUSSIAN:
Мы хотим помочь вашим кошкам. Мы берем их у ветеринара, чтобы они были кастрированы, а
затем возвратили их вам.
Пожалуйста помогите нам.
My khotim pomoch' vashim koshkam. My berem ikh u veterinara, chtoby oni byli kastrirovany, a zatem
vozvratili ikh vam.
Pozhaluysta pomogite nam.
POLISH:
Chcemy pomóc twoim kotom. Zabieramy ich do weterynarza, aby ich wykastrować, a następnie oddać je tobie.
Proszę, pomóż nam.
Very early this morning when the cat people went to feed the feral cats, my friend met them there. Some
old women were there screaming as usual, however, this time she had the translations on her phone and
held it up so they could read it. The ladies’ eyes lit up, they hugged her and each other and were brimming
over with suggestions in broken English and sign language.
On the way back to their cars, one of the cat ladies was distraught because the vet won’t work on any more
cats until they pay the $200 owed him and they had no idea where to get it. Our friend handed her an
envelope containing precisely that amount and she literally bursts into tears. He assured her they could count
on us if they need help in future.
Such a small thing yet a bunch of innocent kitties give so much love and happiness to a bunch of displaced
old ladies living in public housing -- perhaps reminding them of home.
Sure makes me feel good to be able assist the big guy in sky in his mysterious ways .
