Ep 2. Feral Cat Fixer / Reaper Keeper
- TV14
- December 18, 2022
- 43 min
-
(13)
Dirty Jobs season 10 episode 2, titled "Feral Cat Fixer/Reaper Keeper," is an exploration of two tough jobs that involve dealing with creatures that most people would like to avoid: feral cats and dead animals.
In the first half of the episode, host Mike Rowe meets up with a feral cat fixer named Paula who is dedicated to lowering the population of feral cats in her community using a process called "trap-neuter-release." Paula takes Mike along as she sets traps for feral cats in various locations around town, and he learns about the challenges of catching and caring for these animals. This job requires a lot of patience and attention to detail, as well as a deep love for cats and a commitment to their welfare. Mike gets a firsthand look at the work of feral cat fixers and gains a newfound respect for the people who do this important and often underappreciated job.
In the second half of the episode, Mike visits a reaper keeper named Dale who works at a family-owned slaughterhouse. Dale is responsible for disposing of the carcasses of animals that have been processed for meat, and he does this by feeding them to a group of massive hogs. Mike is fascinated by the process and learns about the history of reaper keeping as a profession. He also gets to witness firsthand the skills required to manage these dangerous animals and ensure that they are fed at the right times and in the right amounts. Dale provides a grim but necessary service, and Mike recognizes the importance of this work in an industry that often goes unnoticed.
Throughout the episode, Mike brings his signature humor and curiosity to the jobs at hand, asking questions and challenging himself to try new things. He also showcases the hard work and dedication that goes into these dirty jobs, highlighting the people who perform them and the value they bring to their communities. In the end, viewers come away with a deeper appreciation for the range of jobs that exist in the world, and the dedicated people who do them with pride and determination.
