Orange County Register

My co-workers might as well call me Cat Lady.

For months I’ve been regaling them with stories about Mama Kitty, a prolific, free-roaming cat on my street in Old Towne Orange.

Mama Kitty waddled up back in March, round and ready to pop. She busted out four wee ones on April 23. It took some time, but eventually I rounded up her hissing posse of kits from a neighbor’s unused dog house, convinced the critters that friendly really was best, and found the foursome — Lily, Smokey, Sophie and Taz — new homes.

Except for Mama.

I stuffed the grumpy cat into my trusty cat carrier and hustled her to the low-cost spay and neuter clinic in Garden Grove: The Golden State Humane Society.

A few hours later, the phone rang here at my desk.

Ms. Gowen, we cannot spay your cat; she’s pregnant.”

Gulp. (I actually said the “s” word, but that’s not kosher here.)

I learned the hard way that even a nursing mama cat can (and will) score some action when she’s not tending her newborn flock.

The vet told me, sternly, to keep her inside this time and bring her back eight weeks after the kittens were born.

Roger that.

So, four more kittens were born on Aug. 30: Astro, Lenny, Daisy and Massimo. I became their suburban zookeeper: clean the boxes, feed the masses, cuddle their fuzzy bodies, let them climb my legs, eat my hair, and attack my feet.

But it was worth it. I learned a lot about kittens, free-roaming cats, and low-cost clinic options for everyone, rich or poor — or right in the middle.

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Mama’s surgery day finally came. The kittens were weaned and with their new families. I grabbed the cat crate, a mewling Mama, and off we went, back to Garden Grove.

The clinic was a lively scene. The waiting areas were crowded with people and pets. One side for dogs, the other for cats. Friendly staff members called us to windows, stuffed forms in our hands, and cast expert eyes over the crowd.

“Ma’am, how much does your cat weigh?” one staffer asked a woman.

Not enough, apparently. The clinic won’t spay a female cat under 5 pounds. The woman shuffled off with her carrier in hand.

A family and their puppy struggled to control a puppy while they waited to get its shots. Another woman and her dog were checking in for spay surgery. The same stories repeated 50 times over.

Mama, aka Octo Kitty, returned home Thursday after her spay surgery. She’s wearing a funny cone, her belly is shaved, and she’s grumpy … very grumpy.

The best part? Her surgery, booster shot and deworming cost $51. And … NO MORE KITTENS!

I officially remove the Cat Lady crown. It’s time to walk the dog.

For more on low-cost clinics, check out this list of Orange County facilities.
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