Yesterday, called a local shelter to see if they might take the nine black kittens. They said they would after a health exam- so off we went. I did tell them on the phone about the remnants of the URI still going around. They said they would work with that. The kittens are now 7 weeks old.

Wouldn’t you know it? Three tested faint positive for ringworm so all were turned down! The shelter said their isolation ward is stuffed full- no cages available for these babies. I stopped at the vets who wants to change the medication since this URI is so persistent. They have to be on it for 14 days. Gee I wonder if it has anything to do with them  being stuffed into a chimney damper by a young mom who was so stressed out she wanted nothing to do with them. Anyway, cost of treatment for all for ringworm and URI $300.00. Money available in CATS $32.50. We will do what we can for these babies who are eating like their stomachs are NEVER full! It’s called a growth spurt- but thank God, they made it through one nightmare and will continue to thrive and grow and eat us out of house and home. 🙂

In Feb of 2001 there was an orange and white kitty left on our doorstep.We were captivated by this orange boy and named him Trump. We put him to sleep this afternoon with the diagnosis of cancer hanging over his head. I had taken him in a few months ago due to heavy drooling and inability to eat. He was diagnosed with a massive infection in his mouth and stomatitis. The meds given were working for him- but his throat began to bother him, so I took him and they found a mass. It was cancerous.

I will miss him. He was my ray of sunshine in a sometimes unsettled day. For some reason, he went off to two homes and he was returned as not fitting in. I guess he wanted to just be with us and nowhere else.

Goodbye Trump, thank you for the years of smiles and giggles and kitty hugs. There will never be another like you- and I apologize for your name. I didn’t realize so many years ago that your name might not sit right with people in the future. God bless you, God Speed, tell my son hello and I will see you again. Enjoy his life in photos

For the last few days, Bentley has been standing guard at our front door and night and growling at something in the bushes. Last night, I took a strong beam flashlight and a sleeping bag and laid outside waiting. Turns out it is a beautiful young 4 month maybe kitten- black and white speckled face- feral as can be. I got some cat food and a dish and when I belly crawled under the hydrangea to give it a meal- it took off and ran across the highway!  That is where it is coming from. There is a cat hoarder (a mean cuss of a man) over in that direction, and I would bet he is coming from there. That’s a nasty road to travel in t he daytime. I am just praying he stays on his side of the highway because I don’t want to wake up in the morning and do a road check and see him there.

On a more somber note, someone is committing great atrocities to cats here in Sweet Home. There have been eight cats reported as victimized- all have died. I will spare you the details but ask that you pray they get the monster who is doing these heinous acts. My money is on a kid doing this- I hope when they find him (and the police are on it) they hang him by his gonads on the centuries old tree in town.

She is now in her new forever home. She has been adopted by an elderly couple who just wanted a companion to share their lives with. She seemed to have no problem fitting in and right now, she is living in their bathroom for a few days until she adjusts. When I left, she was sitting on Jan’s lap purring and kneading.

She went from this:

To this:

On the way home, I stopped by to check on Athena. her new owners have been busy building her an outside cat enclosure so she doesn’t have to spend her time inside the garden shed for a whole month! Daniel built it yesterday and will install it tomorrow. She couldn’t be in a better place!

She has been adopted into her fur-ever loving home. She is living pretty close to where we live, just on the other side by the river. She has been adopted by a retired couple who want an inside/outside kitty and they will be keeping her inside for at least 6 weeks until she adjusts to her new home. They will be building her a wire run out the back so she can go outside and be safe from flying predators and other wildlife. Right now, she is in their garden shed which is cool and comfortable and affords her a lot of different hidy holes to find and hide in.  I am going over there tomorrow to switch out the cat carrier. They have my favorite top-loading cat carrier. There other carriers are in the barn in their second home in Sisters. I have no problem in letting them use a cat carrier until they make a trip to their second home in August and bring back their own carrier.

Mike left yesterday with is childhood friend Jack. They are right now in Canada headed for Alaska where he will be reuniting with his boys and going on some fishing trips and float trips. He lived there 30 years, and jack wants to see one of everything there- not possible, but Mike does know some incredible places (if they aren’t ruined yet by commercialism). We left Alaska 20 years ago, right after Walmart announced they were coming into the neighborhood.

This will more than likely be his last road trip and I know they are going to have a fun time. I told him they have to catch a lot of fish and also bring home king crab!

I went on an adoption run with Athena this morning, but the home was a grand disappointment. Although nothing was mentioned about kids- the woman has 12 kids between her and her boyfriend ranging from the age of 8 months to 19 years old. None of these kids were gentle when it came to Athena and her 7 year old decided Athena would make a good rag mop and he spun her around the kitchen floor several times while everyone laughed. I had gone to use the restroom but when I came back and saw those antics, we just packed up and left. It will be a few days before Athena will get back to her normal state- GRRR

All ten black kittes are doing well. Soot is on her final week of medicine and all the kitties are now eating canned kitten food. This is the quickest I have ever transitioned kittens over to solid food- but nothing else seemed to be working.

Just got an email from a frantic person whose 8 month old cat just had kittens and is now trying to kill every kitten or leave them in dangerous places. Chances are pretty good that the mom is to young and stressed out, or the kittens are sick and she knows this. There were 10 in the litter and now there are only 8. it is hard enough for those of us who know what we are doing to be a substitute mom 24/7 for 3 weeks- but for this gal, she is just a novice and she is so overwhelmed, She sounds young as well- 🙁

This weekend, Athena will go up for adoption as a special needs Siamese kitty. She needs a home with someone with insurmountable patience and love so that she can feel safe and come out of her shell. Here is our first contact and you can tell, she isn’t quite relaxed enough to enjoy what petting has to offer her.

And here is Echo. She is just a baby but she had 6 kittens they discovered when they spayed her. Now, she is up for adoption and instead of growling and hissing at me- she head bumps me and wants all my attention! I know she is saying thank you for getting me out of motherhood. She is just 6 months old herself.

I lost it on facebook yesterday. I came under fire for putting down Brave. I even got a courtesy phone call from someone who had been feeding him for a few years wondering why in the world didn’t I wait to put him down until another rescue could intervene so she could have been with him in his final moments? Are you kidding me? I was so angry and raw from losing both cats yesterday, I listened to her rant and rave and I think I did tell this person how the cat came to us and I had no idea another rescue had been contacted. I was just numb- then I find out later at the vet that this same person called my vet to check up on my story about why the cat died. Like I make this crap up? I just tell everyone that these cats die to what? Increase my non-profit income? WTH! It took a lot of self control for me to hold it together but then coming under fire on facebook about this decision just broke me. They contacted me through the private chat and let me have it- telling me that I should have waited the 30 days until the owner came and claimed him? Right, I am going to sit on a wounded- severely wounded cat for 30 days and pray he doesn’t die waiting for the “owner” to step up and claim a 9 year old-battle scarred, ear torn tomcat? Makes perfect sense to me. (sarcastic comment here)

Oddly enough when I took this private chat “public’ and vented no one has responded except to like my comment. I did say that if someone felt so strongly that I ended the life of “their” cat, they are more than welcome to send us the euthanasia fee of $210.00! Gee nobody stepped up to do that? (another sarcastic comment).

This weekend was pure nuts. Logged into our book are 18 calls about cats and kittens in distress. I had to pick and choose and figure out who really needed the help the most, We answered every call. Ignoring is not in my DNA.

I even had this one guy who tracked me down (after calling the house and finding out from Mike where in town I would be) I am backing out of the parking lot of the grocery store and someone behind me is honking and flashing their lights. I am thinking, did I hit someone? This man hotfoots if out of his car, runs up to my window (which was down) the dogs were in the truck. He says “Do you do cats?” I motion to my magnetic signs on my truck with our logo and nod my head.

“I need help,” he sputters. “My cat has gone from 8 pounds to 2 pounds in three m onths and I need $800.00 to get all her teeth pulled!”

Honest, I don’t make this stuff up!

I told him that isn’t what I do, and if I did have $800.00 it would go on our pre-existing vet bill. I told him a few other things, I am sure he didn’t want to hear. He’s had this cat for eight years and claims to love it- As I left he shouted “You are a bad person!” Hmm maybe in his eyes, I am.

All were dropped at the vet just now. Brave tested positive for the nasties as did Wilson.:( Wilson is the kitty I got late last night- she is extremely emaciated, loving but won’t eat. Bad URI including a cough- she tested positive  as well. I know this test is spendy $42.50 but it is riskier NOT to have it done because if they do come here with a disease that is contagious, it can get ugly quite quickly. It has been several years since I have had one test positive, let alone two of them! Maya and Echo (both negative) will be spayed and then back with us later today. Say a prayer for Wilson and Brave, I have a feeling there is quite the welcoming committee waiting for them over the Bridge.