I moved among the wrecks, squeezing through tight spaces, trying to avoid sharp edges and rusty bits. Before we had entered the yard that morning, I was afraid the owner might have removed too many cars and gotten too close to the colony. Now, with the cats using the remaining wrecks to hide, I wished there were fewer cars, so the cats wouldn’t have so many places to hide.
I trailed behind Dr. Reynolds. We each carried one of the pole snares. We’d seen an occasional flash of fur and heard movement in the wrecks, but the remaining cats were very elusive. Twice I thought I saw Hunter, but a glimpse of black amid shadows wasn’t much of a confirmation.
I was really surprised King hadn’t surfaced. He was so big and slow moving I didn’t think he could run or hide, but somehow he’d managed to stay hidden. He was always so front and center when it came to food, I figured he’d be the first to enter a trap. Maybe he wasn’t as desperate as some of the other cats because he was so fat and could live off his blubber for days.
Hunter remaining hidden was to be expected, but I hadn’t seen Miss Mittens either. She had never been timid or reserved. We’d trapped all four of her kittens, although they really weren’t kittens anymore.
Maybe, with her kittens all grown up, Miss Mittens had more time to spend with Hunter. I pictured the two of them together, like the scene in Lady and the Tramp where they are sitting in an alley sharing a plate of pasta. That was why Miss Mittens and Hunter weren’t here now. Obviously I was suffering from more of that anthromorphing thing.
“Got you!” Dr. Reynolds yelled.
His pole was stuck in a hole in the wreckage. Part of me hoped it was Hunter on the other end, but part of me hoped it wasn’t.
Dr. Reynolds dragged the pole out of the crevice. Whatever was on the other end seemed to be putting up a good fight, like Hunter or King would. He pulled the end clear. It was Sherpa! Rupinder would be so happy, although Sherpa certainly wasn’t. He was spitting and digging in his claws, trying to get free.
“This is a little like fishing,” Dr. Reynolds said. “I just wish we could let them know it’s catch and release.”
He pulled the pole closer until Sherpa was right there, only a foot or two from his hands.
“What a beautiful cat,” Dr. Reynolds said. “Himalayan cats are among my favorites.”
“His name is Sherpa,” I said.
Sherpa’s eyes were wild with fear. Dr. Reynolds held the pole with one hand and reached for the cat with the other. Sherpa attacked him, landing three or four fast strikes harmlessly against his heavy gloves and jacket.
“Can’t blame you, big guy,” he said. “I’d be fighting too.” He turned to me. “Can you get me a cage?”
“Oh, yeah! Sure, of course.”
I dropped my pole and ran to get a cage. There weren’t many left because most were filled with cats. We had thirty-four, no, thirty-five now with Sherpa.
By the time I returned, Dr. Reynolds had Sherpa pinned to the ground under a big gloved hand. I opened the cage and he picked the cat up by the scruff of the neck, the way its mother would have picked it up. Sherpa relaxed, maybe remembering his mother, and Dr. Reynolds placed him in the cage. The second Dr. Reynolds released his hold on Sherpa, the cat sprang to life, clawing the bars to try and get free.
Dr. Reynolds picked up the cage, and we headed for the van again. “We’re doing well, but we don’t have much daylight left,” he said.
I looked at my watch and knew he was right. It was almost four o’clock. We’d spent the entire day at the junkyard. It would be dark in less than an hour, and it was starting to get cold.
Throughout the course of the day, we’d been losing our helpers. First Doris, then one of the men, and then Alexander, Jaime and Rupinder had to leave. I wished Rupinder were here to know we’d caught Sherpa, but I’d call him when I got home. I understood people had things they had to do. I was just grateful they’d been here to help for some of the time.
“We’re going to have to call it a day soon,” Dr. Reynolds said.
“But there are still fifteen cats to catch,” I said.
“We still have tomorrow morning. But to be honest, we’ve done a lot better than I thought we would.”
“But not as good as we’re going to do,” I added.
As we approached the van, I heard the cats. Some of them were wailing loudly. Dr. Reynolds opened the back door and the cats got even louder. Some of them sat in the corner of their cage, but others were bouncing around, desperately trying to get out.
“What happens to them all tonight?” I asked.
He closed the van door. “I’m going to give them all an examination, as best I can, give them their shots, make sure they have food and water, and possibly tranquilize some of the more agitated ones so they don’t harm themselves.”
“That’s a lot of work.”
“With any luck I’ll be finished by midnight.”
“And then you’ll come back here tomorrow morning?”
“Bright and early, but you know, this is why I became a vet. I really have to thank you,” Dr. Reynolds said.
“Thank me?” I questioned. “I have to thank you!”
“Doing this is my thanks. I never would have tried to move the cats if you hadn’t been so insistent.”
“What choice did we have?” I asked.
“We could have assumed we couldn’t do anything and just let the cats survive or not survive. Sometimes it’s easier to turn away than act. Thanks for not letting me turn away.”
“None of this would have been possible without you, and your friends,” I said.
“And your friends,” he said. “It was great to have all that help.”
“They’re all willing to come help tomorrow too.”
“That’s great, but I think the best way they could help would be if they don’t come tomorrow.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“The noise and commotion of extra people is starting to work against us. Think about Hunter. The cats we haven’t caught are the most reclusive or timid or careful ones. The fewer of us here tomorrow, the more likely we’ll be able to catch the remaining cats.”
“That makes sense.”
“I’ll ask Doris to come. The two of us, plus you and your mother, would probably be enough.”
“Could Simon come as well? He’s been here from the beginning.”
“Okay, Simon too,” he agreed. “We probably couldn’t keep him away anyway, could we?”
“Probably not,” I agreed. “I think my other friends are going to be disappointed though.”
“Tell them they can be there when we release the cats,” he suggested. “That’s a lot more fun anyway.”
“They’d like that,” I said. “I’ll call them when I get home.”
“And that should happen right now. I have a lot of things to do with the cats before I can call it a night.”
“Great. We’ll be here bright and early tomorrow, right?” I said.
“How bright and early?” he asked.
“How about six?”
“How about eight?”
“Seven is in the middle,” I countered.
“And seven thirty is when it’s light enough to see.”
“Okay, seven thirty. Deal.”