Woke up this morning at my typical time 4:00 a.m. to the sound of rain on the roof. With over twenty-seven forest fires now burning here in Oregon. the smell of smoke has been prevalent in the valley for weeks now. I just hope it is raining with a vengeance over those fires as well.
Cats are so intuitive- had some disturbing texts from Mike yesterday and so to say I am a bit shook up would be an understatement. He texted me that they located a hard mass in his abdomen- and that’s all he said. My heart racing, I called the nurse and spoke to her. She said that he has lymphedema which is a hardening of the fluid retention of the body in people that have complications with Diabetes or obesity. It can be handled medically- really nothing to worry about, but apparently Mike is obsessing over it thinking it is cancer.
I texted him back trying to ease his mind (didn’t work) Finally, I just shut the phone down and went to bed. The cats have been shadowing me ever since. Pidgeon has figured out if he leaps up on the bathroom door and jiggles the handle when the door is shut, he can come in and keep me company. He scared me when I got out of the shower! The door was open and he was sitting in the bathroom sink looking at me as if to say: “Mom are you okay?”
Even the outside kitties know, I am walking on edge right now. I was able to yesterday pet two of them- who have never invited contact before. Pretty amazing when you consider they are still “feral’ in nature. But they just know. I needed that contact.
Solo is still with us. I have turned down five homes for him and one would think with the issue of cat-juggling I have to do here now, to keep him with us and keep the rest of the cats safe, that I would just jump at the chance to put him anywhere. But his issues, his PTSD I firmly believe are not his fault, but the fault of his previous owners who messed him tremendously. He has to go to the right place, or he will stay here until that place is found. With winter approaching, I know the system here that I have come up with isn’t going to work. The indoor/outdoor kitties are not going to want to hang out in rain and thunderstorms during the day. And I have a feeling, this is going to be a brutal winter for us. So he will have to stay in the bedroom for the most part- unless a suitable home is found for him.
I keep trying to give him a chance, and let them all out to roam the house freely, but he keeps attacking the other cats. Even with pheromone collars, feliway diffusers, and calming powders- he’s an attack missile on a mission! He’s one of my toughest challenges in a long time which is so sad because he loves people. I have a new ad out for him, I hope it works and someone who is truly qualified with a lot of patience will call and we will go from there.
I can understand Mike’s concern about cancer; with all that has happened to him, that would appear to him to be the ‘next step’. I am glad of course that it is relatively easily treated.
Could those homes that want Solo be good for some of the other cats? I know you have to be picky with him. After all, sending him somewhere that isn’t suitable would just mean that he would be returned to you at some point, or, worse, not returned when he should be. We do the same in our rescue-group.
As for the rain, we are getting that here, too. The fact that it is here and there may mean, hopefully, that it is elsewhere, where it is needed more.
Those cats are astonishing, aren’t they?
Honestly, I wouldn’t put any cat with the last three people who contacted me about Solo. but in my quest to find him a home, I have found a place for Twist- a tiny 2year old black cat who still looks like a kitten because of in-breeding. But boy, is she a mouser and she goes in quick for the kill. She doesn’t torture them to death like half of the other outside kitties. she’s merciless and will soon be the new shop cat at a lumber yard. I will be taking her in to them as soon as I get the call and setting her up in the largest cage I have where she will spend 6 weeks learning this is her new home.
I’m with you! Solo was already in a poor situation; he deserves only the best one for his furrever home. And it WILL come along. Am sorry to hear about Mike’s new problem, and of course those fires which have the air fouled with smoke.