by Deborah-Ann Milette
(New York)
I had received a desperate call from a man in PA that heard of my ability to safe-capture wild cats and like a fool I gathered up my Noah & Sarah-Linda and drove to Point Breeze Park in PA. I met up with the owner and learned that his serval, “Mr Bigglesworth”, had been loose for a month in a cemetery called Frick Park.
I began to track and look for traces of Bigglesworth which really isn’t easy as half the place was wooded and the rest was a burial ground. The place really gives you the creeps because it is a cemetery.
Traps were set, I would spot Biggles either at dusk or early morning. For 2 weeks I just about lived in the cemetery with Fred Riley and Sgt Byron Williams of the West Miffin Police. When I am forced to use a dart gun on a feline and because of the uses of the ketamine I prefer that an actual police officer makes note of how much tranquilizer is used, missed, so an accurate account of the medication is returned to the vet.
Beginning to loose faith in myself going into 2.5 weeks and my own cats wanting their own home my own feelings of desperation almost set in I had to stuff that down and act as if I was still just a casual walker thru this dismal area of life.
Suddenly just as I was walking by I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Biggles was in the trap trying to eat what had become almost beef jerky. I picked up my pace of walking towards the wire attached to the trap, the closer I go the faster I picked up my pace making sure he was still in the trap. I picked up the wire pulled it like my life depended upon it and the trap slammed down with the serval, Bigglesworth inside.
I ran and sat on top of the cage hoping and praying that the wouldn’t take a bit of my butt! Now here I was at 5:30 am in a cemetery no cell phone and I now need that dart gun. Sitting on the cage but trying to calm Biggles who was more hungry than anything, an hour later a vehicle drove up.
I am waving and pointing to the cage and Sgt Williams yells what’s happening? I yell “I got the freaking cat in this Fricking Park!” He couldn’t believe it. Fred shows up and they dart the cat and none of the men wanted to go into the cage to grab Biggles to crate him, oh no they have the cat wrangler do it!
Needless to say the headliner on the news that night was Freaking cat was caught in Frick Park and I drove home a hero in the eyes of the people in PA. That is one cat I will never ever forget.
He was removed from his owner and moved to a vet’s sanctuary because the owner violated PA’s permitting laws and was fined. Me and my two cherished babies returned home and we must have slept for 4 days….
Deborah
