I’ve hit a snag with the repair of the house and I have to move out for 15 days. As of now, I have no hot water and it will not reinstalled until the 18th. I have cold water, but not hot. Starting next week, I will be without heat in the house until the 19th as well as the roof will be ripped off my main house.

A friend of mine runs an Air B&B and she has a guest room I can stay with. She is also the person who adopted my Rottie pup Quincy so Kota will be welcomed and he will have a dog-pal to play with. Her house is full of artsy stuff so I think Kota will be doing a lot of kennel time there because he likes to knock stuff over.

I have a brand new ceiling now in my bedroom. Half of the room the rafters were rotted through, the other half were in better shape. I have a new back door, new stairs and new windows so work is progressing but the house is in really bad shape. They have to completely tear down all the antiquated plumbing and replace it all as well as the electrical throughout the house and the outbuildings. I have two new well roofs for the house and irrigation well. I can’t really show photos of the bedroom because the electrical to that room only has been cut off.

Pigeon is healing nicely, but this new development of me having to leave home has thrown a wrench in my plans of having my under the house cats move to the main enclosure. Now, I have reinstated the door to the enclosure and opened the tunnels. When I leave, I will have to put Molly, Pigeon and PITA out in the main and shut down the tunnels to the house. These cats don’t always get along with each other, so I need to create more hiding spaces out there or there might be bloodshed. Ever since Pigeon got mangled, he and PITA have had issues sharing the same space. I will be coming in daily to feed and check on the cats- and I am hoping the under the house kitties will migrate to either the haybarn or the shop. Not going to be an easy time for them. They are used to calling under the house home- but after they insulate the underside of the floors and the pipes, they will be closing the vents that lead to the underside of the house.

Pigeon is feeling punky right now. Because we have so many boots on the ground around here now, he slipped out of the house the other day and was gone for three days. When he returned, the first thing he did when I let him back in the house, was to duck under my desk. (Not a normal behavior for him).

At first, I thought that he was nervous because the men were stomping all over the roof, so I let him be. I shouldn’t have given him the benefit of the doubt. In four hours he had barely moved. I went under to pick him up and my hand slipped inside of him. He had yet another wound on the back of his leg! Not as horrendous as the first one, but still not good.

I ran him into the bathroom and started clipping away his fur, found the wound and started to clean it. It was so nasty smelling, I knew it was infected. Of course it was Sunday late afternoon, but I had no antibiotic on hand and the smell knocked me back. It was an emergency run to the vet.

He has to have animax shot into the wound twice and day and liquid antibiotics shot down his throat. He is not a happy boy. Of course I had JUST paid down the vet debt to a manageable level, but now it is a few hundred dollars. The Kitty only has $24.00 in it currently. If you happen to have ten dollars gathering dust somewhere- we could sure use it about now.

Pigeon is on house-arrest until further notice-

I went to pick up the two cats and take them to the Humane Society, but the Mackeral Tabby, Loki was having no part of this plan. Capturing him inside of my carrier was like snaring a tiger and I told the owners that the Humane Society would not even consider taking a cat that was this scared of being in a carrier. And Loki was terrified. I did take in the black kitty and she was mild and wonderful all the way there and during her test. She will be on the floor in a few days. The owner had assured me that she was up to date with shots, but she was not able to provide proof, so they have quarantined Sissy until she is up-to-date on shots.

Thank you to those of you who made this surrender possible and gave at least one kitty a chance at a better life. I wish Loki had been as mild mannered as I was told he always presents himself, but sometimes the truth has to be found out in difficult ways. I wish I could take him especially after seeing his truth. I don’t think anyone will adopt him for anything less than a barn cat. But I can’t- my house is topsy-turvy as it is with workers crawling everywhere. I ended up just taking the door off my main cat enclosures, shutting off the tunnels to the house and hoping the displaced kitties so used to being under the house, will find themselves new sleeping quarters inside the opened enclosure.

Thank you again to those who gave-

Hey guys,

I recently received an email that shot so close to home, it tugged at my heartstrings. I will just make this short as I can because it is a long, emotional journey to relate about this elderly couple.

They are both diabetic, but Teresa’s husband is further into the disease than she is. He recently lost his leg to diabetes and while he was hospitalized he also developed the flesh eating disease that destroyed his shoulder. Dealing with this incredible pain, brought on a heart attack causing him to have to go through a heart bypass surgery.

Because his skin is in such a fragile state, they have to find a home for their two cats Sissy and Loki. They are siblings and three years old. They contacted me to see if I could take them. I can’t but while I was meeting with them Teresa told me the local humane society said they would take both cats but they needed to come up with $100.00. They don’t have the money- they are barely surviving as it is.

So what I would like to do, on their behalf, is try to raise the money for them and take their cats into the shelter as well. Neither can drive right now because of health issues.

If anybody can help this couple and make a donation, please do so. We don’t have it in our Kitty, or else I would cough it up quicker than a hairball. But my heart just went out to this couple based on their situation. I had to try and do something: This is my try. Thanks for reading this-

Hi guys,

Events are moving at a rapid pace around here. My home is pretty much stripped of all furnishings. I have a little corner in the living room where I live currently. I share this little corner including my California king size bed with my beloved dog, And three cats during the day and three more at night! Sometimes the cat restraints are so tight I can’t even turn over. So I give up, I give in, and I move to my recliner where the only cats to join me there are Pigeon and Molly.

I don’t know if any of you have ever heard of emotional diarrhea, but apparently that’s what Molly has now. Ever since the demolition of the bedroom the patio and the kitchen has begun she’s had diarrhea. I’ve treated her with my special remedy that normally cures diarrhea in five days But not this time. She’s been to the vet multiple times since I’ve logged in last. They’ve also tried to stop it. It’s finally been determined that since this is not a health issue this is a stress issue the only thing that’s going to stop it is to stop all the traffic going in and out of the house.

PITA A few weeks ago said to heck with all this noise and disappeared for a week. I was frantic I was looking everywhere for him. I had posters up thanks to new book by Dusty Rainbolt, called Finding Your Lost Cat- I did just that. And I found him. It’s been crazy around here.

Adding to the stress is it’s coming onto the anniversary of when I lost Mike. October 14 one year ago is when they dismissed him from the hospital, and placed him on Home

Hospice care. Everyone keeps telling me the first year is the most difficult Unfortunately they’re proving right. I have taken down all the photos that were on my refrigerator. So right now, the refrigerator is bare except for about three cat magnets. Kota has been my rock throughout the process, and God has been my Salvation.

Yesterday while I was doing errands, I decided to stop at Red Robin to grab something to eat. It was our favorite place to go to get a great hamburger. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could sit there in the booth, and enjoy my meal but I found myself breaking down. I was so embarrassed, with my head down, so nobody could see my tears I sought out the waiter, who thankfully was in a private part of the restaurant at the time. I told him I was sorry, but I didn’t think I could do this. That I had to go and then I quickly explained why. I took my money out of my pocket to pay for my meal, and he told me to put my money away the meal was on them. I didn’t even thank him! I just scurried out of that restaurant. As I was coming across the parking lot, I wasn’t even close to the truck. I could hear Kota barking, whining and scratching to get to me. I wasn’t making a sound but somehow he is so in-tuned to me he knew. Incredible dog that he is. He hardly ever barks when he’s in the truck.

I had to stop at Home Depot and pick up some supplies. I put his service dog in training vest on, The vest also says in bold letters “ Please DO NOT PET”. When I was checking out, there was a dog in the other the line barking at him. I told him to “Leave It!” That’s his command to just ignore whatever is taking place at the time. So he settled.

Suddenly this woman appears, and she is getting uncomfortably close to him. I told her please don’t pet him She replied oh I’m not! And then all of a sudden she’s right by his head and she’s tapping her side of her hip. And she’s whispering to him, over and over again (while the dog is still barking) “Is that a toy? Is that a toy? Do you want to get that toy? Do you do you?“

I was so stunned that at first I just looked at her. I didn’t jump in and defend my dog right away. I was so baffled that somebody would do that to a dog wearing a vest that said service dog in training please do not pet! God forgive me but I finally looked at her and I said ”Lady, if you don’t get away from my dog RIGHT NOW, I swear I am going to kick you square in the ass!“ The look on her face was priceless. She quickly moved away. Who does that? Who is so brainless that they would do that? I guess my patience had reached the end of my rope. But he is so quick to defend me, I finally had the opportunity to return the favor. Through it all, bless his heart, he only barked one time when she was egging him on

Well next week the new beginning starts they’re going to be rebuilding my bedroom. They have to put in new walls and they have to make them thicker than before because they need something to support the ceiling before they start to fix the ceiling The house has really turned into a nightmare as far as what’s wrong with it and how much effort it’s going to take to get it fixed. They’re also bringing in the new heater and setting it up so that it will heat the whole house instead of just one room. So the stress isn’t over yet and won’t be for quite some time but it’s going to be so nice when it’s all done. I’m just hoping my cats are going to be able to handle it all.

barking

I am waiting for the vet to open this morning. I need to go in and get some advice. One of my outside semi-feral cats is jumping into the huge dumpster parked in my backyard and eating insulation mixed with vermicelli! How do I know this? This morning, when I went to clean the outside sand boxes, I found a pile of poop with a substantial amount of this insulation sticking out. 🙁 Also investigating further- I found some emesis with the same.

The problem is that I have no clue who it might be. No one is off their feed at the moment, all cats showed up for morning chow and all ate vigorously. But we are talking a substantial amount in the waste and vomit. I have taken a tarp and climbed into the dumpster and covered the insulation piling boards on top of it. But cats are determined creatures and I am worried.

As mentioned before, this house was built in 1943. The insulation came from the ceiling when the tiles were torn down. The vermiculite, who the expert initially told me generally tests 90% for lead- well we got lucky. Mine is lead-free. I just need to talk to a vet and find out if they have any idea on what this old time insulation is made of. It’s not the pink stuff, it is actually green and yellow and white. Of course the vermiculite is also an issue, it looks like dirty popcorn kernels.

Yesterday, I took Bella in for her re-check on her jaw and her incision. Her jaw has completely healed itself and her stitches are almost all gone. Apparently she has decided she doesn’t want to wait for them to be dissolved! But she got a big thumbs up from the vet and I have to say, that she is much more loving now than she was before.

I do feel bad though, because her owner is elderly and in bad health. Her son does live with her, but I get the sense that he is just waiting for her to fall down again so he can stick her into a convalescent home. The house is a wreck, she is practically living on cement floors. She is not a hoarder (although she has 11 cats) maybe more? They aren’t the healthiest looking- but she does feed them and care for them the best she can. There is no doubt that her and Bella belong together. There is real love between them, but I still feel bad returning Bella today back to her. . Her cats are not feral, they are all loving and socialized. It is just sad to me that her son doesn’t want to improve his mom’s living conditions.

They started doing the demolition yesterday. I have to say that these workers are very conscious of my request to keep certain doors closed so that I don’t loose any cats now in the house and the main enclosure. In the past, the guys that have been here will leave doors open so the feral cats get inside, the inside cats get outside. I was dreading that part of wrangling cats. Nothing like that happened.

My bedroom is now stripped down and exposed and the ceiling is in sad shape. Right above my bedroom (that sounds so odd to say instead of our bedroom) 🙁 is the attic and investigation has revealed that the water was coming down off the part of the roof that is attached to attic and sitting in the rafters decomposing everything. And I do mean everything. All rafters, joists everything will need to be replaced. Apparently, when Mike built this bedroom, he put illegal plastic behind the drywall. The type of plastic he used for a vapor barrier although legal in some states, is only allowed in Oregon under floors. So all that had to be removed as well. It’s spooky to walk in there now and look directly into the attic above.

This team of contractors and builders are all Christians and so helpful and patient with me. I am now living in the living room, and boy do the cats and dog love the fact that my California king bed in now flat on the floor! LOL It is going to be an adventure. Last night, I had one dog, and 6 cats sprawled on my bed, so I gave up and slept in my recliner!

For the last several months. the weekly donation of cat food and cat litter has been dismally small. What is left in our storeroom is the heavily dyed dry cat food that I won’t feed my cats unless it becomes necessary and sadly, now it is necessary. I have been buying cat food when I can, but we are still trying to whittle down our vet debt that stands at $500.00 currently.

This Friday (today actually) they are starting work on my home with the tear-down of my bedroom. They will be here during the time I run to pick up the cat food. I called a woman who told me recently that she would be happy to help out with picking up this food. I asked her if she could pick up this morning’s food and she said yes. Then I cautioned her that she might drive all the way to the store and find out that there is little or nothing to pick up! Without missing a beat, she replied: “Well then, I will just drive around to the front of the store and buy some!” I almost started crying when she said that. I feed the best food I can afford as far as dry goes:Whiskas, Cat Chow, Purina Indoor seems to be the cats’ preference. I am so grateful for this woman’s kindness right now. I’m currently finding several piles of emesis in the yard now that I have resorted to feeding 9-Lives and Meow Mix.

Yesterday, was the ending bid day for the three contractors who are interested in helping me repair this home. One of the contractors who initially contacted me came out. We sat down, and we went row by row, item by item through a 10 page bid! There is a lot of work to be done to this home built in 1943.

It was a bit overwhelming. I kept wishing I could channel Mike somehow and make sense of all the technical details, but Richard was very kind. He also sweetened the deal. He told me, if I chose him, he had just done a big tear down of a luxury kitchen for a client. Said the cabinets and countertops were beautiful and really didn’t need replacing, but the new owners didn’t like them. He would donate all the cabinets and countertops and install them in my kitchen and only charge me for a new sink! Guys, I have 48″ of counterspace in my tiny kitchen. I have cupboards that are so high, that even my 6′ can’t reach them without a step stool. I have low cabinets that I can’t use because the kitchen is so small, the cupboard doors smack into the stove, or additional roll away shelfs that I need for storage! LOL It’s crazy, but I have dealt with it for over 30 years- just as I have dealt with having a water closet instead of a true bathroom.

I am also leaning toward this gentleman and his company because he is just incredibly kind, and patient. Not like some of the contractors who have blown through here. Is his bid high, yes, but this house is a mess. My bedroom is the worst of all the rooms and it leaks horribly. That started right after Mike passed. There is condensation up there right now that is so bad, the joints are sweating and decomposing. It is pretty scary.

I am supposed to see the remaining two bids today and then make a decision on who to go with. I feel so out of my element and I think back on the one contractor who “redid” my bathroom and left it bad enough, that one of these new guys is coming in to turn it into a finished bathroom. All of this going on while by brain is trying to just get through the day. I need a drink! LOL Just kidding! I just need prayers that I make the right decision and find the person who can make this house that is so wrong- right again.