08/28/2026
Sometimes You Just Have to Say, “Bring Me the Cat.” 🐾
One day started with a completely unexpected conversation at Tractor Supply.
A woman in line ahead of me was purchasing a trap. Of course, those who know me know I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I see something involving cats. 😂 So I asked what her plan was.
As it turns out, she and her husband were trying to help several cats in their area in Spencerport and she found no one who could help after numerous calls. They were working with a veterinarian now to get the cats trapped, fixed and properly cared for. I offered them one of our traps, and she came to Mr. Grey’s Strays to pick it up.
While she was here, she told me about a gray cat who was also in need of help. They had reached the limit of what they could personally do, and there was no immediate place for this cat to go.
I explained that we were completely full. I had absolutely no open space, and I was already bottle-feeding sick neonatal kittens around the clock. In fact, the reason I was at Tractor Supply in the first place was because the formula I had been using had been recalled, and I was trying to find something else to feed the babies as mine now had explosive diarrhea that could turn into death in less than 24 hours.
A few days go by….. she text me and tells me the cat now has a bite wound  and she will give it to the neighbor to hold onto until I can take it, but it looks good… then the next message a few days later is that it doesn’t look good it is now abscessed.
She found a rescue now that will take the cats once fixed and they suggested to ask me for antibiotics for this gray cat .
And this is where I became the “grumpy rescue lady.” 😾. I told her NO!
Not because I didn’t want to help. Quite the opposite.
I don’t hand out antibiotics for an injured animal I haven’t seen. I don’t know what the wound looks like. I don’t know how deep it is. I don’t know if there is an abscess developing. I don’t know if the cat has a fever, how sick he is, or whether an antibiotic is even what he needs or how much to give.
She said it could wait until tomorrow.
I said, “Bring him to me tonight.”
I had hours of work ahead of me as it was almost 9pm, no available cage, no room, and absolutely no business taking on another cat.
But once someone tells me an animal is hurt, my brain doesn’t seem to understand the concept of NOT MY PROBLEM and I worry.
I moved cats around. I cleaned out a cage. I pulled out temporary playpens for some of the others. I made space where there wasn’t any space.
Once here (they were kind enough to bring him, even though it was late ) I examined him.He didn’t have a simple bite wound.
He had a botfly larva (Cuterebra) embedded in him and actively feeding in the wound.
There was no antibiotic that was going to remove that larva.
An antibiotic might be appropriate in some wounds. It might not be. And sometimes what appears to be a straightforward injury is actually something completely different as in this case.
Tonight, this little gray cat is safe.
And yes, I was tired. Yes, I was overwhelmed. Yes, I was probably sharper with this very kind couple than I should have been. I apologized because they were doing exactly what they could to help him—and they even left a donation to help with his care. ❤️
But I’m also glad I was stubborn.
Because if I had simply handed over an antibiotic and said, “Give him this,” we may never have known what was actually going on and his fate could’ve turned into something different than being safe here.
Sometimes rescue means making room when there is no room.
Sometimes it means working another few hours when you’re already exhausted.
And sometimes it means dealing with a rescue being a bit sharper and to the point than you like as a few hours sleep and constant pleas and sadness can be so overwhelming.
I updated the Couple last night over his condition and they were very grateful I pushed the point at 9PM . We all wanted the best for this little fellow now named Toby
