Just finished a strange phone conversation with this woman.

She is a friend of a friend of Fargo’s owner. Fargo was one of Dim Sum’s babies who got adopted last year. I’ve been in touch with her but I never recalled giving her permission to pass my number to strangers.

Anyway, from what I can gather from the conversation, she is a divorcee has 12 cats of her own & feeding another 6 strays. She has financial difficulties & personal problems which she didn’t elaborate & decides not to have anything to do with the cats until she sorts her life out.

She heard that I know people who run catteries & may be they can take the 18 cats in.

The catch is, none of the cats are sterilized because she doesn’t believe in sterilization & it is expensive. Also, she doesn’t want to pay for the cats’ boarding in the cattery because she can’t afford it.

I said I can help her on the following conditions:

1. She has to agree to sterilize all her cats. She has to apply to CWS for subsidies & I will pay the balance. I will pay for the transportation of the cats to the vet. And I will go to her home to collect the cats.

2. If she wants to put her cats in the cattery, she has to contribute a token amount for the cats’ boarding. If $20 is all she can afford each month, fine. I am happy to top up the rest. Otherwise, sterilise & release them.

I don't want her to dump the cats on me or the cattery just because it is convenient to do so. If she cares for her cats, she has to take ownership for them. I explained to her that she has understand there is no such thing as free meal - her cats (all 18 of them) need to eat, shit, sleep somewhere. Someone has to feed, clean & provide a roof for them. These things don't come free.

I insisted on going to her home because I want to know where she lives & to see if she is telling me the truth. And in the event she stops paying, I can take the sterilised cats back to her.

She asked what if she puts all the cats up for adoption. Maybe she doesn’t need to pay anything then. I told her she can try.

She said she’ll think about my proposal & will get back to me.

End of conversation.