They have been with us now for seven weeks. I just returned from the vet and he told me that they look like different cats then when they first arrived (which made me grin)

Here is Sawyer:

Here is Blake the kitty I want to put on YouTube:

Matilda- so named because she waltzes between my feet-

And this is Morgan who only recently will let me pet him just one time before he bolts

The others besides Goofy Gus are still running around loose. Kitties are now of good weight and you can’t feel their bones any longer-

Ironically now our property is flooding with strays. I suspect I know who is dumping them but have little proof, other than recognizing some of the cats when I went to pick up the others from her a few weeks ago. But, it isn’t worth hassling her with, I just need to start taking care of them. I know my neighbors are upset, but there is little I can do with someone dumping cats on our land.

This morning, I counted 8 new strays near the woodpile. They all scattered when I came out of the house, but you could tell they have been together in the past because they all ran off in the same direction.

If anyone out there has ideas about fundraisers, I would welcome any ideas. There is a company that has been emailing me lately, GoGO Photo, they specialize in running photo contests online for non-profits. I’ve researched them to the best of my ability and they seem legit. The only thing is, there has to be an incentive (prizes) for people to enter the photo contest- at least three good prizes in order to accomplish the end goal and raise the monies. I would like to offer something unusual, like a brand new cat carrier, stuffed with cat goodies, a small collection of cat and cat care books and such.

I’ve also decided (because of the untruths floating around about us) to at the end of each month, present on my blog the stats of the sanctuary. How much money was raised, what it was spent for, how many cats were adopted that month, how many we turned down, how many were dumped, who went to the vet etc… etc… I have let it be known to the person who told me about the hoarding rumor to check in to my blog at the end of the month to see if that stops this reputation ruining campaign.

So a lot of worry and concern on my plate. These new cats, how to capture them, where to put them once they are captured. How to keep them from harm until I can get to them and a push to adopt out all the adoptable ones here to make more room.
Thank you for anything you can offer. I am still turning down kittens daily and will continue to do so.

This morning, the cats inside the stall enclosure were missing! At first, I thought someone had come in the middle of the night and let them out-because the door was shut and everything looked normal. But Matilda, Blake,Sawyer Skeets, Quinn and Morgan were nowhere in sight. I stepped out and looked around, took a deep breath, cracked open a can of cat food and called for the kitties to come. Thankfully, Matilda, Blake and Morgan came to me! I scooped them up and put them inside thanking the Good Lord for keeping them close.

I found where a board had been pried up in the back of the stall. It led into the hay barn. I covered the hole and went into the hay barn and discovered Sawyer just looking around quite confused. He allowed me to pick him up (I am so grateful I have been working with these cats) and I put him back inside.

Quinn is nowhere to be seen. Skeets is under the haybarn and every time he sees me coming he ducks back underneath the woodpile and into the underside of the barn. I have my traps set, but she kept them so cruely confined for so long inside those traps I suspect they won’t be easy to trap. I think Quinn was the instigator and the others just followed him out. I don’t think, if Quinn does return that I will confine him. I will just hope for the best and turn him out with the other barn cats. Some cats, just don’t take to confinement well.

At least the weather is shaping up. It is supposed to be 80 tomorrow. No thunderstorms or lightning to drive scared cats farther from safety.

This morning, before the house woke up, I slid out of bed to share some time with Goofy Gus. He is so funny, when he sees me coming, his eyes open wide, he spits and hisses and dives under the bed. But, when I go to his level, make my 6 foot frame as small as possible, he finds his brave spot and inches forward.

I wrote a letter to a dear friend while I was on the floor. I thanked her for being a part of this experiment and described what I was doing within the body of the letter. She won’t think this strange, she knows me to well. By the time the letter was finished, Goof had attacked my toes (although I tried so hard to keep them still) and he was lying by my side content, as long as nothing on me moved other than the pen in my hand.

Yesterday, Quinn got out of the cage inside one of the enclosures and I could not catch him. I just let him be hoping there wouldn’t be a major cat fight before they adjusted to him. He is in with Matilda, Blake, Skeets, Sawyer and Morgan. When I went back later that afternoon, Quinn was no where in sight. I looked everywhere for him. I knew he hadn’t got outside- not even Houdini could escape from this enclosure. I sat on the floor and prayed and looked around and it dawned on me where he might be.

We built this large wooden box for heat and pushed the box against the wall, but the studs still stick out leaving a 6″ space between wall and box. I grabbed my ladder and climbed up. Shining the light down, there he was hissing and spitting and glaring at me. Boy, was I glad to see him. The box doesn’t have four wooden sides and thankfully, the side he was trapped in was only enclosed with insulation of the styrofam type. I untaped the insulation and he shot out like a bullet and dove into the corner. Poor kitty. He’s a beautiful tuxedo boy- totally unsocial at the moment.

We put a board up to block any further escape attempts and this morning when I went in, I could hear him growling in the rafters. At least he only growls and me and not the other cats. It will take time, but he will come around. He just has to figure out that he is safe now.

Well more strong weather is heading our way. Time to batten down the hatches outside so the high winds predicted don’t take anything out of our yard and blow it into the road. The sun is trying to peek through the darkness but it keeps getting beaten back. Hope we can grow a garden this year- wish cats love vegetables as much as the pet food manufacturers try to convince us they do. *G* The wet food is running out and don’t think homemade tomato sauce would be a good substitution!

The thunderstorms have ceased for now and George is busy building the new catio. I’m so glad he doesn’t think we are a bit odd at the lengths we go to try and get these cats to adjust, socialize and get them out the door into good homes. He says he likes working for the “cat lady!” LOL I have so been called worse names *G*

Here is the door to where I can get in if necessary to retrieve a cat-

and here is the beginning of their new catio

The sun roof hasn’t been installed yet and the flooring isn’t put down. Hopefully, this will relieve some of the stress these two cats are feeling and stop the midnight cat fights inside.

Finished, skylight in, proper roof installed

Goofy Gus is becoming a bit bolder and we made a playdate last night. He actually showed up. Look at this beautiful boy and it is so sad that no one has ever made a good first contact with him. But we are close to a breakthrough- very close, I feel it in my heart.

For the last couple of nights, I have been hearing cat fights outside. By the time I get dressed and get outside, the noise subsides- except for last night. To my surprise the two ferals inside the deck enclosure Malcolm and Striker are fighting. I called George and asked him to come over tomorrow. We are going to extend their territory and give them a place where they can get outside..yes another catio, but basically right now, they are in a wooden box. A big wooden box with windows, but it is still a wooden box. We are going to give them a bit of a sun roof. a solid roof except for the piece of plastic that will be their sun roof. The sides will be wired and screened so they can have fresh air and I hope this extension will stop the ugly fighting. I am sure Striker is just annoyed at his freedom being taken from him (karen had him roaming her property) Malcom is a sweet boy and he is just caught in the crossfire. I just hope it won’t rain so we can provide them some relief.

“Hi there, you might remember me as ‘Stumbles.’ I was the six-month old mackeral tabby kitty that fell into the care of CATS Inc., after someone intentionally broke my leg. I was found in a pretty rough neighborhood, and even though the people who found me wanted me back, it was decided I would go to a better life. I was pretty relieved to hear this because the person who hit me could still have been lurking around. Now, I am in a town far away living with two wonderful people (they love to spoil me!)

I had a cast on my leg, seemed like forever. When they took it off the first time, they found pressure sores and nasty stuff and had to clean me up and reapply it. But now it is all gone and I can run and play with Rob and Jen.

Can you tell I am in a good place? I even have a kickin bow-tie collar. Such a distinguished gentleman that I am.Even my new name is elegant. They call me Murphy!

Gotta go, my pillow is calling my name!”

Patience has been in and out of the house now for about a month. Her night terrors are still so evident that when she starts her anxious meowing at 1:00 a.m. and continues it non-stop, I eventually cave and let her out at 4:00 a.m. I don’t wish her to be outside. Not with two neighbors not fond of cats and I know she wanders. I have tried all my tricks to calm her down; harp music, leaving on lights, putting her in a room with calmer cat, feeding her, holding her and finally giving her one-on-one playtime and nothing was working.

Thursday when I took Blake to the vet- I also bought a nutureCALM24/7 pheremone collar. I have Feliway diffusers burning 24/7 at the sanctuary in most of the rooms but they seemed to have little effect on Patience. I was skeptical that this collar would even work, but I wanted to give it a shot.

Just like clock-work that night at 9:00 p.m. she was waiting at the door to come in. I brought her in and fastened the collar on her, stepping back to see how she would react with something around her neck. She wasn’t even concerned. I fed her and just let her be and she joined the other cats in the outside enclosure.

At ten when I headed for bed, I sent a prayer skyward asking God to please let her get through the night without the demons chasing her. She woke me at 3:00 a.m. She gave two plaintive squeaks, then all was quiet! I went out of the bedroom to find her, she was curled up asleep on one of the cat towers! With a big smile, I headed back to bed.

She has been in the house ever since with the collar still on. Although in the beginning in the daytime, she was pacing a bit, she has quieted down and now just wants me to pet her and love on her.

Th collar is manufactured by meridian animal health. When you first fasten it on, all this powder falls off of it, but this powder is what activates the pheroemones. The pheromoens it gives off mimics the calming scent the Queen carries for her kittens. It has not only given Patience the time she needs to face her fears, but it has made her adoptable for the first time in her life.

This kitty born in a hoarder’s home with little hope of a normal life, now has an opportunity to be someone’s beloved pet and be cherished and cared for the rest of her life.

These photos were taken this morning. She isn’t caged any longer and this is the calmest I have ever seen her. For her to finally find her peace is a true Easter Blessing and we couldn’t have achieved this stage without the help of meridian animal health and their amazing collar.

Here she was the first night with us:

One of the recent rescues from Karen, Blake is a charming, older gentleman with no teeth and so many mouth issues, his tongue keeps hanging out. But until we get more weight on him, mouth issues are put on hold.

He is an elevator butt kitty in fine style. When I start to scratch “that” special spot, he raises his hind end, bends his head and grabs a piece of straw. As I continue scratching- he will fling his head from side-to-side and that straw stays firmly in his grasp. Then he leans his head way back and flings the straw across the room and grabs another one! LOL It is hysterical and he does it everytime. He is a YOuTube candidate if I ever saw one.My camera takes decent still shots, but not videos. I think Blake would go viral and what that would say about stray cats would be so wonderful, he could be an ambassador!

I had a wild idea yesterday and went and talked with a local shop owner. In our town we unfortunately have a large population of homeless. They sit on the streets and in parking lots with their cardboard signs begging for help. One group really upsets me because there are four people and five dogs. They always try to put the dogs into the road where cars have to either stop to avoid hitting the dogs, or swerve around them.

So I got to thinking and after Easter, I am going to take a piece of foamboard and place all the photos of my “homeless” kitties on it. The sign will say something like “Homeless- Please Help!” and when people do stop, they will see it is cats and kittens in need of a home, not someone wanting to scam them out of money. I will have my adoption forms ready, a pre-addressed stamped envelope and if the person is serious, they can take the form home, fill it out and mail it in and I will be in touch with them after. I have the shopkeeper’s permission to squat outside her store.

Don’t know if it will work or not- it just may amuse people, might tick off others and Mike said he will be parked nearby just in case with B-Dog. It would also be a good vehicle for me to educate people about TNR-