New Year Cat Capture #3 (Final)

I went back to bed at 7am and didn't wake up until 9:30am. Lazily I ate my breakfast and cleaned my room before heading to the school at 12:00 noon. Aside from me, Matsubara-san was there as usual. I had thought that his brother's birthday is today and he really should've gone back to celebrate it with his family.

At 1200 the usual gang showed up, the annoying Kotama, Momo (spayed 2 days ago) and the still skeptical Dare and Asoko (from yesterday). Kotama was a no-show for the 7th day in a row. I was a bit worried that she might've died from hunger. I returned to the lab empty-handed. At 1:00pm I received a message from Namioka-sensei. He was on campus to release Kenta. By the time I got downstairs, Kenta already ran off like there was no tomorrow. It's likely he will not return, but perhaps for the best. It's difficult for an old cat to absorb such this kind of trauma.

Namioka-sensei handed the hospital cage to me and I was already equipped with the holding cage from Waki-sensei. I was wearing my 590 yen NEW fleece and my 3 dollar Canadian glove/mitten soaked with scent from all 13 cats and 4 kinds of cat food. On top I am also wearing my cheap 980 yen sports jacket. Kokotama can do her worst to my jacket and I would still be okay.

At 2pm I walked to the library with my Japanese textbook so I can enjoy the sun a little while waiting for Kokotama to come. Kotama, as usual started to buzz around me, then Dare came and Momo joined in, then Chibi-kuro also popped by. I bet it was a strange sight seeing this foreigner guy sitting on the library steps, reading a Japanese textbook with cats lurking around. Namioka-sensei just so happened to pop by as he drove and dropped off an empty bowl to me before returning to his family's home for the new year.

I prayed to God that He grant me success in this operation before the end of this year. Knowing that I need to be ready for the next step, from 3pm to 5pm I actually took the time to go to the experiment room to do an inventory check so I know what equipment I will need after the New years. At 530pm, I set off on the last cat hunt of this year, the 15th in my life and hopefully final.

It was already pitch black by the time I got to the library with the cage and the food. Momo shadowed my move from the other side of the pond fence, Dare soon dashed out from the bush, then I heard a meow I haven't heard for a long time. Kokotama ran from the other side of the fence with her sister Asoko. I quickly set the bowls ad positioned the holding cage. With Kokotama, I knew I probably would only get one chance. She inherited the wit from her mother and is the most suspicious of the kittens. I tried to pat her with my cat-scented mittens. She hit it a few times with her claws and tried to bit it, but to no avail. These cheap mittens are really invincible against cats. As the other kittens chowed down the food, Kokotama got slightly more impatient with me constantly bugging her with my mittens. Asoko was beside her, but good thing they do not know how to communicate my intent with each other. Finally, I was able to pat Kokotama on the back of her shoulder without a big reaction. On the 3rd try, I reached with 2 hands and locked her chest into my grasp. She let out a horrid frustrated scream. With one motion I lifted her up and landed her directly into the bottom of the holding cage then shut the door. Momo, Dare, Asoko all jumped and ran for cover, for all of them experienced what had just happened.

I didn't have time to care about the food bag, I took off my black jacket and covered the cage so Kokotama wouldn't feel so stressed about the moving surroundings. It was a heavy cage to carry, but I danced with my feet feeling like feather. At 7pm, everything was finished. Kokotama has been placed in the empty student room. Tomorrow 9am, Namioka-sensei will return to campus to take her to the hospital.

I feel more and more de-sensitized about these kind of things. I guess that's the price I have to pay for every cat hunt I go on. By God's grace, He has allowed me to catch 7 cats in the past year. The mother Sabi, oldest son Chibi-kuro, all 4 of the 3rd generation, and Kenta on the side. God, the creator, has control over these animals. There's no question in my mind.

Next, I will wait and see what God can lead me to do in my research >:)