Samantha's "adventure"

So I did my "good deed" for the neighborhood today. It took a full hour to get poor Samantha back into the carrier box this morning (very stressful for her!), then J. drove us to the vet, not far from my office, it being far too early in the day for me to have slept enough for driving competence. First we met with a veterinary assistant, who didn't seem to have properly understood that we were bring in a feral cat - she was talking about vaccinations that would require a second visit, and giving pills, and a complementary claw-trim, all of which were inappropriate. Then we met the actual vet, who started a bit gruff but eventually was suggesting that we could bring in the other cats without appointments, whenever they're open, which would relieve me of most of the problems I had this time - I wouldn't have to keep cats in my spare room (except females during recovery), and I wouldn't have to get them back into the carrier once they were out, and I wouldn't have to ask J. to drive me in the early morning, etc. And then, when I picked Samantha up (seven hours and a nap later) they charged me much less than I was expecting.

Meanwhile, D. asked me why exactly I was doing this and whether it was just something I had "taken upon myself." I hope I explained well enough.

The vet reassured me that even if Samantha is FeLV positive, Sorin and Ajani couldn't catch it from her without exchanging bodily fluids. One or the other of them reacted poorly to the first FeLV vaccination and never had the second. (They don't seem to be aware that Samantha is in the house, even.)

So that's all a relief, though I'm going to miss the twice-annual appearance of kittens in the neighborhood.