Catboy by Eric Walters Page A

means you have a computer and a printer,” my mother said.
    Another good point I hadn’t thought of. “Even if you are a vet, that doesn’t explain what you’re doing here,” I said.
    â€œWhat we’re doing is trying to help,” Dr. Reynolds said. “This is Doris.” He gestured to the older woman. “And this is Sarah. We were trying to help the cats.”
    â€œAnd how do those traps help the cats?” I asked.
    â€œIf a cat is badly injured or needs medical treatment, we trap it so Dr. Reynolds can treat it,” Doris said. “When they’re well enough, we bring them back.”
    â€œThe food you were giving them wasn’t poisoned?” I asked.
    â€œOf course not!” Sarah said. “What sort of evil person would do that to a living creature?”
    â€œThere is something in the food,” Dr. Reynolds said. “We put antibiotics and medications into the food to inoculate the cats.”
    â€œSo you really are trying to help them,” I said.
    â€œWe’re members of the Feral Cat Association of Toronto,” Dr. Reynolds explained.
    â€œOr F-Cat for short,” Sarah said.
    â€œIt’s a group of people who work together to try to help wild cats, feral cats,” Doris said.
    â€œThere are a few dozen of us,” Sarah added. “Some people make donations, others donate time to help feed them.”
    â€œOr treat them,” Doris said. “Like Dr. Reynolds.”
    It all sounded good, but I was still suspicious. “I’ve never seen anybody here before,” I said.
    â€œWe’ve never been here before. We just found out about this colony a few weeks ago. This is the first time we could get here. There are hundreds of feral cat colonies in the city.”
    â€œThat’s hard to believe,” my mother said.
    â€œMost people find it hard to believe,” Doris said. “Before I got involved, I had no idea there could possibly be so many.”
    â€œBut where are they all?” I asked. “It’s not like there are hundreds of junkyards.”
    â€œOften they live in industrial sites like this, but also in abandoned houses and under bridges,” Sarah said.
    â€œWe also find them in fields, ravines and public spaces like parks,” Dr. Reynolds added. “Both the Scarborough Bluffs and the Leslie Street Spit are home to two very large colonies. Cats are perfect animals to create feral colonies.”
    â€œYes,” Doris said, “they multiply quickly and they’re very social. So they like to live in groups.”
    â€œPlus, they are mobile, independent by nature, can catch or scrounge for food and, really, are only semi-domesticated even when they live with people,” Dr. Reynolds said.
    â€œNobody really owns a cat,” I said. Since Mr. Singh had first said that, I’d come to believe it.
    â€œI’m glad you think that way,” Dr. Reynolds said. “So many people think that feral cats are lost house cats that only need a little affection and a scratch behind their ears.”
    â€œWith some of them, it would be a great way to lose a finger,” I said.
    â€œBut not all of them,” Doris said. “Some are just a few months away from being house cats and can be very gentle.”
    â€œAnd others are very savage,” Dr. Reynolds said. “How many cats do you think are in this colony?”
    â€œI know of forty-three cats and some kittens,” I said.
    â€œAre you sure of those numbers?” Dr. Reynolds asked. “It’s difficult to distinguish individuals and get an accurate count of the residents.”
    â€œI’m completely sure,” I said. “I know them, cat by cat.”
    â€œMy son spends a lot of time here,” my mother said. “He really cares for these cats.”
    â€œWe thought somebody had taken an interest in them,” Doris said. “These cats are in excellent