Feral Cat Behavior

He arrived earlier this afternoon and he is in rough shape. Thin as a rail, heavy with discharge from the eyes and snotty nose. Thankfully, the discharge from the eyes is clear, the snotty nose not so much. Not green though which means that even though he was in the animal shelter for a week, he doesn’t have the dreaded animal shelter upper resp. disease!

The man who brought him to me was absolutely a delight! He has flipped for this kitty and who can blame him. This kitty is so friendly- and he has burnished brown to his fur makes me wonder if he is Burmese? The fact that he is chipped, although the chip is 12 years old and the owners have moved, makes me believe he just might be a pedigreed kitty. His teeth are in decent shape-his gums could use some unprocessed honey on them to soothe them down a bit. I will pick some up tomorrow. He is eating a bit, but with all that snotty nose stuff it is surprising he is eating at all! I set up the vaporizer and when I went back into the room he was lying so close to the machine that was percolating like mad (I added salt so it would steam quicker) his nose was almost touching the steam! I have never seen that before-

I am taking him to my vet tomorrow bright and early and asking for a CBC to be done and to have a general exam and probably they will give him an antibiotic shot. Thankfully, I just bought a new bag of fluids because he is so dehydrated. Think good things for this beautiful boy- I will give him the bedroom tonight by himself and sleep on the couch.

Yesterday, I called an old, old friend of mine. We lost touch when she moved back East from California and the last time we talked was over a year ago. She was excited about her move back then, going to be with a man she thought she knew and loved. But sometimes, dreams turn into nightmares and her life became one.

She has smoked since I have known her (she was 16 when we first met) she is 57 now. She told me in the year that she has lost touch- and she did it deliberately because she was so overwhelmed, she was diagnosed with COPD, Emphysemia and chronic bronchitis. They found an inoperable tumor on her lung. She said she also has fybromyalgia and just last week, her esophagus closed on her and she could no longer eat! When they went in with a tube and a balloon to stretch the passage- they perforated her esophagus and now she is bleeding. There was some mention that the lining of her stomach is now coming through her esphagus but she wasn’t clear about that. We talked about old times, dances we went to, boys we had crushes on- her daughter, my family. We just went back in time for a brief moment. I told her (because she was croaking could hardly talk) that anytime it got rough for her to say anything- to just say bye and hang up and I would understand. She said it was glorious to talk to me, that she needed to say some things and that she would never give up, never surrender.

In the last test they did, she said they found several suspicious lumps in her throat and they biopsied them- they were cancerous.

Her plate is more than full, her knight in shining armour has long galloped away with another lady. She is alone and my heart aches for her.

Someone asked me yesterday why I thought all this stuff was coming down on me and Mike. She wanted to know if there were any bright spots in my day- and there are so many- 21 to be exact, all with four legs and a tail and purrs that can at times power jet engines. It has taught me what is important in life and that is people who I love and who love me back. Not people who just want all the gory details and then say they will pray and never do- but people who matter, who I have taken so for granted for a very long time.

I sit here with Tover in my lap. He is purring away and looking at me with such a wide-eyed innocence. You would never know His Royal Blackness is still a tomcat- but he is- I slid McKenna into his neuter spot this week and this tom is as mellow as butter. He believes it is his mission to be on my lap at all times and he and Dexter have quite the war at times figuring out who gets mom’s lap first! Tover usually wins.

Another black cat will arrive today- he is a senior and by what I am told, he has never had much of a life. I will change that if I can. I will show him that his house is safe (if sometimes crazy) that no one will hurt him- his bad teeth will be taken care of, his URI will be addressed and he can live here in comfort until I find him that home that I know is out there.

Never Give Up, Never Surrender because if you do- you give in to despair and that is no way to live.

But my phone won’t stop ringing. I am getting another cat tomorrow. Surprise! Surprise! He is black, he is 12 years old and he has a 2 day death sentence hanging over him at a shelter in Portland. I told the gentleman I have the room- McKenzie and McKenna have both been placed so I guess God just doesn’t want me to NOT have a black kitty or two running around!

The gentleman will be bringing him tomorrow afternoon sometime- and no one has even named this poor boy!

I had to be rushed to the Er today. My B/P was off the charts and after speaking with me at length, my doctor informs me I am stressed! No really? LOL He was appalled at what was going on with Mike and he said for me to take it easy for awhile. Not sure how that is going to work out. But those were his instructions. I felt so funny and the only way I could describe it was when someone who is playing around, throws you in a pool of water and then holds you under a bit to long? I felt heavy and numb and was having problems catching my breath.

I am now on two drugs both are supposed to take the edge off. One, I take two of when I feel an anxiety attack coming (which is what the doctor said I had earlier today) The other, I take 1/2 tab for 6 days then one tab a day afterwards.

My kitties are supposed to keep my blood pressure down! I had a long talk with them this evening.

I wanted to say thank you once again for those who contributed to the last fees of the IRS regarding CATS Inc., I am $40.00 short still, but that is so much better than being $100.00 short that I was before. I’d get mad about their new fee increase, but it would do me no good. They have be over a barrel (as my dad would say.)

McKenzie is now in a new home and the woman just loves her so much! I also put McKenna into another home temporarily. I had to get her out of the room where her kittens were born (and passed). She was going crazy looking for them and I knew if I could just get her away from their smell, she would settle down, and she has. She is a in a very large dog crate at a riding stable nearby. She will get spayed on Friday and then be released on the 15 acres in a few days time after the spay and join the other animals at this riding and rescue facility.

I just received a notice from the IRS regarding CATS Inc., Apparently on the day that I filed the last fee for the cat sanctuary they raised their rates! I now owe $100.00 more before they will process my paperwork and make me legal.

I don’t have it folks- If I did, I would gladly pay it and be done with it. If anyone can make a donation to the button on the sidebar of this blog to help me raise the monies- my cats would be grateful and honestly so would I-

The three wee ones did not make it despite all efforts to save them. I spoke with a true cat expert and she said that by what I told her it sounds like the toms blood type was not compatible with McKenna’s. Learn something new every day- I always thought cats had the same blood type.

When I removed her babies and put them in the forest- McKenna didn’t create a fuss. Most queens would be pacing and crying and looking for the babies, but she just laid there grooming herself. There is still not a peep from her- in a way she seems relieved. I think she knew they weren’t right and she has known this for longer than I did. Cats are so much smarter than me.

They are now a week old- there are three remaining kittens. They are eating now because I am taking measured breaths when I feed-

Sorry folks but under the circumstances, the blog contest will be postponed until further notice………… I just have to many fires to put out right now-

I do not know this man lying in that hospital bed right now. Yesterday, there was an episode that occurred between him and I (or is it him and me?) They keep changing the rules! At any rate, afterwards, I had a long talk with this man and I told him that he does not have the luxury of belittling people and feeling sorry for himself. I told him I wasn’t going to put up with it any longer and I left. I went home and I had a nuclear meltdown on the floor of the living room. Poor Dex he was beside himself. He didn’t know what to do with this sobbing, howling woman lying on his floor. He kept jumping over me, pawing me, running in circles and whining. He knew something major was up. Every time I lifted my face, he was there trying to catch the tears.

I haven’t even cried since all this began. I have been near tears most of the time but the floodgates never released like this before.

Mike has got us so hosed up financially- I don’t even know where to start- and for him to turn ugly not only to the nurses who are only trying to help him but to me as well was to much to take.

Today, I need to go back to the facility and apologize to the administrator. Mike set me up and he lied (which blows me away) about what happened between him and the nurse who he said kicked his leg! He manipulated me, pushed the right buttons so I would go and complain so he couldn’t do physcial therapy that day! I got this poor lady in trouble because my husband doesn’t like Physical Therapy.

None of this rambling makes any sense to anyone but myself but to put more of what happened out here wouldn’t be right. Let’s just say I had a huge wake-up call yesterday. I told Mike I am this close to walking out on him and not looking back if he doesn’t straighten up. I told him he embarrased and hurt me deeply, confused his kids and he is not a nice person right now. I told him I don’t have to put up with this and I hoped he was proud of himself! His kids had already left in disgust.

The kids called later and took me to dinner and we had a long talk about so many issues. All this time, I had thought they didn’t even really like me, just thought I was a crazy cat lady who married their dad. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I just know I need to stay away from Mike for awhile. I do not know this man right now- and I want my husband back.

McKenna’s kittens have stopped eating- they won’t even take the drops I give them with the syringe. They fight and fight and cry and it is puzzling because at their age, they generally latch on to the bottle and won’t let go until it is drained. I keep trying but am afraid that something besides McKenna drying up is at play here.

McKenna’s kitten the smallest one passed away yesterday. I wasn’t aware of the death until later when I went upstairs to check on everyone. It was so sad to see her there on the blanket away from the other.McKenna moved the others from the spot where she died.

The kittens are still under the futon- I put lawn edging under there to keep them from wandering off. McKenna is being a good mom but without a necropsy, I will have no idea why the little girl died. McKenna had a fairly large litter and now we are down to 3 all boys.

I raised heck yesterday at the rehab center when Mike told me that one of the “therapists” kept kicking his bad leg! She was with him in the gym and he said that she kept repeatedly kicking his foot and hissing at him “Don’t put weight on this foot!” Don’t put weight on this foot!” I’m like what the hell? I told the administrator if this is how they run this facility, I would take my husband out that night and find someplace else to help him! I was hissed- what the devil has happened to compassionate, caring therapists and nurses?