Just got a call from a deputy at Animal Control. Apparently, when they went on a call for something, they found a cat who has been injured in some way. They say it is a Himalayan and it can’t stand up very long- keeps circling around and falling over. It also has cloudy eyes. 🙁 They asked me if I would take it if they can capture it- right now I guess it is hiding under a woodpile. Sucker that I am, I told them yes, I will take it if someone can capture it- as I am unable to leave at the moment. They are going to turn their animal control officers loose on this cat to try and get it and so please if you read this- please pray that they can capture this poor kitty. I’m quite baffled at the call because most of the animal controls around here don’t do cats? Then, there is the added pressure of an already out of sight vet bill and will the clinic open their hearts and treat this kitty IF it is indeed treatable?

At any rate, no cat deserves to suffer so however I got this phone call routed to me- please just pray that the kitty gets captured and we can help it- I’m still a bit stunned by all of this, because if you take a cat to animal control, the only thing they will do is euthanize it. Not sure what to make of all of this-

He has been reunited with his owner! He is now NOT a tomcat, but his owner Ralph couldn’t afford the surgery. He is homeless and he has had Sweety since he was a kitten- but his name is Blackie. Blackie slipped his harness a few days ago and Ralph has been frantically looking for him since. I stopped into a small local café this morning to pick up a donut and they were talking about Sweety boy’s disappearance. When I told one of the locals that I had the cat and he was being neutered, he got all excited and we took a walk over to the park where the homeless hang out. I met Ralph (sweet man) and I told him I had his cat but not yet, then told him about the surgery being done today.

At 5:00 p.m. Sweety I mean Blackie, was returned to Ralph along with a figure 8 cat harness I picked up at Petco, so he can’t slip out of it again. It was clear there is love between these two- Blackie climbed up on Ralph’s bicycle and settled down in a wicker basket. Last I saw the two of them, they were headed down the highway!

So today, Lake, Blackie, Darby and Darcie all got neutered. When I got home, the doctors had called and they have determined that Mike had a bad skin infection NOT a bone infection as first feared! His blood levels are good, he is responding to the oral antibiotics and he is coming home tomorrow. Glory can now hop down off the railing and Taylor can crawl back on the bed to welcome him home.

I put him on so many prayer chains. It didn’t look good there for awhile, but he has a second chance now. ALSO- he now weighs 295 pounds!  His five kids told me tonight that this is the first time their dad has weighed under 300 pounds!  I just want to keep going with the meal plan- both of us are losing weight. I want him to get to be about 210 but don’t know if it is possible- but then, I went to sleep last night thinking he was going to come home without his legs- so with God all things are possible.

“Goodnight Ralph and Blackie wherever you are- be safe-“

Yesterday I had to make a late run to the hospital mid afternoon. I checked on all the cats before I left- everyone was fine. It was 85 when I left. While I was gone this incredible (unpredicted heat wave hit). I got home and rushed out to the barn to find Aurora in full hyperthermia. She had pulled herself out of the nest, she was open mouth panting and flat. Her respirations were off the chart. I grabbed the bottle of rubbing alcohol and a washrag- the subcu fluids and an hour later, she was back with her babies nursing.  The enclosure is in full sun and not insulated so I have moved her to a cooler spot into the Introduction cage inside the main enclosure. All the kittens are fine- their eyes opened yesterday! She ate a full meal twice last night, and I stayed up most of the night checking on her to see if she was really okay. I didn’t bother to take her temp. I knew she was high and in trouble. I put the rubbing alcohol on her head, ears and paws and set fans on her being careful not to get the air on the kittens. She had 150 ml of fluid and I made sure to mix some feline pedialyte into the mixture of canned food. Lesson learned, stall enclosure off limits until we can find a way to insulate it and not make it an unsafe place for cats in the high summer heat-

Last night quite late, I made a run into town for some supplies. I was passing over the bridge that rolls over Sweet Home Creek and I noticed a group of boys throwing stones. They weren’t throwing them into the creek- but into the bushes instead. I stopped my car and challenged them and they split quite quickly I might add and by the time I got down to where they were- they were gone.

I stood in the darkness and cursed that I did not have a flashlight, but I went back up to my car and got a can of cat food (I just had an idea it involved a cat!) I sat down on the ground, snapped open the lid and out of the darkness I hear this rustling of bushes. This soft shape brushes against me and I hear a soft meow. (Thank you God!) It could have been so many different animals they were throwing stones at.

But this time, it was a young black cat, clearly belonging to someone because he is so loving. I was able to pick him up and carry him back to the car and put him inside. Girlcat went home yesterday, so I even had a space for this cat. He is pitch black, he is a tomcat (will NOT be tomorrow) He looks to be around 7-8 months old. I will take him in with the other three neuters and see if they can work him in. I call him Sweety- I know sounds pretty corny- but he is so loving. I have ads up that he has been found- but who knows if anyone will claim him? There is only one house near the creek and it has been abandoned for years.

Then this morning, the one torbie going in for a spay tomorrow- she has been hiding under my bed since she arrived in March- when I went into the bedroom, she was asleep on the bed! Before she knew what happened- I scooped her up quickly and hustled her to the waiting cage where she will stay till I take her to the vet.

I had to get tough on Girlcat’s owner, but apparently it worked. GC was picked up late last night. The couple said I inspired them to create an outdoor cat enclosure for her behind their home they are renting. It sounds like it is large enough (it is an old outdoor dog kennel) they have places she can hide and go get warm until the day comes when the one roommate leaves and she can come inside. For my four months of care for her- they left me $20.00. But, I am just grateful she is gone and there was a place for Sweety boy. I looked up to heaven this morning and thanked God for the timing of all the events, and I know He smiled.

I am not sure what they are going to do about Mike’s legs yet. I don’t even think they know. The cat scan that has been scheduled keeps getting put off and until they find out to what extent the infection has invaded his legs, they are treating it as a skin infection.

My hope is it has NOT gone to the bone. I believe we will know more of that later tonight. I was just told the hospital has been slammed with emergencies and those patients come first when it comes to the cat scan. All other scans are scheduled starting after midnight which is why the delay.

Glory is sitting on the rail outside, waiting for her Pop to come home. She will come inside when it gets dark, but other than that, she just sits there watching. I can’t even get her to eat when she is “on watch.” And people have the nerve to tell me they think cats are stupid! Taylor, another of his favorites, just hides till he comes back home. Unlike Glory, she will eat, but she just sleeps in the carrier near the head of his hospital bed waiting for him.

Took “Lake” into the vet this morning and she is about 7 months old, her fever is down (thank you God) but they suspect she has kittens somewhere based on how strange her mammary glands are- they do suspect that the kittens are old enough to be weaned as her nipples did not produce milk.

The sanctuary vet bill is out of control, but I still had her tested, vaccinated and put her on the spay schedule for Monday. With the recent flood of drop-offs- the euthanaias of the ones to sick to treat- the bill is topping over $800.00

If anyone can help us get this back to a manageable number- Thank You- if you can’t- I understand. But I have to ask because I am getting a bit of pressure about paying it off.

I still am refusing cats/kittens on a daily basis and it breaks my heart. But we are an organization of 3.5 people (Mike doesn’t count anymore because he can’t help out) Our resources are stretched thin and still the cats keep getting dropped off. If I ever catch someone dumping a cat on us- you will need to send bail money! But right now, we need vet money.

Thank you for listening, for caring and for helping IF you can-

Mary Anne

When they ran an article about me and the cats in the local paper, I was so proud. I thought maybe being on the front page (photo and all) would make a difference in the lives of the cats who pass through here. I had hoped the readers would be inspired to maybe dig into their pockets and help me out. I made sure that the reporter who was writing the article would NOT publish my address. He didn’t, he drew a map to my front door with his words. “She lives X miles outside of sweet home on the main highway heading toward Lebanon.” Well, he kept his word, he didn’t publish my address!

But since then, there has been a flood of kittens and cats dropped over our fence or on the front porch. I would much rather they were stuffing envelopes of money in my mailbox though! LOL This afternoon when I returned from Portland, there was a box on my porch and I knew it wasn’t from FedEx! Inside was a very young snowshoe kitten- scrawny, flea ridden and not looking very bright.

I lifted her out of the box and she was burning up 103 degree fever! I have called my feline specialist and will take her over there in the morning, but in the meantime have been instructed to start her on azithromax which I have done. I also gave her 100 mls of fluids.

I don’t know what she has(other than light-blue icy eyes) but I pray it’s not contagious or deadly. She is a pretty little girl (possibly pregnant), Will know more tomorrow. Please pray for her in the meantime. I suspect she isn’t quite a year old yet.

When I left Mike at the hospital today, he was waiting for the doctor to come in and talk to him about his options and quality of life. I had to get home to feed the cats so I didn’t stay and besides, this is something he needs to come to terms with- it is his decision solely. IF he can come to the determination that his life would be better without two diseased legs, I believe the process will be easier for him to accept. But if they remove that option from him and force him to have them amputated, it could go quite badly.

As with everything else around here- time will tell what will happen to the humans and to the cats who share the same roof.

His ears weren’t open yet, so he only felt his mom’s purr. His eyes were also shut so he never saw the loving looks humans gave him. I held him this morning as he took his final gasp of air. Mom cried once when he took his last breath, then she turned her attention to the other littermates nestled at her belly.

For the last few days, she has been nudging him away from her. I would try to feed him, but he was unable to suckle. Drops of formula in his milk, just stayed in his mouth. He was to weak to swallow. Just recently she tried to do him in the way that cats do: by stepping on him intentionally, laying down on him or squishing him near the wall. I would rescue him every time but she would become anxious and go over to the box and the heating pad and bring him back, then do it all over again. He never had a chance. Some moms know best and then the human side of me has to back down and understand that he was failing and should have never put his paws on the ground in the first place.

This morning when I went in to check on the litter, he was lying far away from the rest. I picked him up gently, he gave one small squeak and a gasp and was gone. His rectum had blood in it. I buried him in the long grasses and told him I was sorry. He was the runt of the litter and sometimes only the strongest survive. My hands were tied, I could not take him anywhere else to keep him safe because of the distemper outbreak. I did all I could but it just wasn’t enough.

Then I took Mike to his appointment and I had a bad feeling all the way up to Portland. I could smell his legs from where I was sitting and he had been complaining of pain (rare for him) for the last week. When they unwrapped him, I knew why he was complaining. His legs were infected- badly. For the first time, the surgeons came in and talked to us about amputation of both legs. He wants to fight to keep his legs and so for now, that is the route they will take. The surgeons do not believe that amputation is the answer for now. We made them promise if it ever comes to that (and I pray it doesn’t) they will tell us right off that there are no other options. They said they would do that.

So he is in the hospital again with badly infected legs- wounds so deep that I shuddered when they unwrapped all the casings he was in. He will be there for awhile.

The bright spot in this day lay at the end when Lil’ Squirts owner contacted me and I was able to bring him home. His two littermates were glad to see him and I could tell that yes, he belonged with Paula and her family.

This morning, I had to get creative when it comes to keeping cats here. I moved Girlcat (who was only supposed to be “boarded” for 30 days) that was three months ago- I took her out of her deck enclosure and put her in the Introduction cage. I suspect she has been abandoned. Her owner no longer takes my calls, so the poor girl is in limbo. My plan is over the next few weeks to introduce her gradually to the rest of the crew in the house and have her merge with them.

I put the two “moms no more” into the deck enclosure so they would have more room to roam. The one Torbie girl is a cat food hog! She ate 5 cans of food last night before 8:00 p.m.  I don’t think the mackerel girl got any at all. Putting them in this large enclosure will allow the mackerel girl to be fed in the catio, and the torbie to be fed inside the enclosure so both get their much-needed meals. Torbie is so swollen with milk that she still looks pregnant. She had 12 kittens inside of her and was ready to drop any time. 🙁  I’m contemplating seeing if she and the tortoise shell can get along and she can help with the kittens. But, it is dangerous to do this so I need to be careful and think about it more before acting on it. The tortie is in pretty bad shape and she is young- I am feeding her 6 times a day but the kittens are sucking the dickens out of her nutrition-wise. She could use the help (if she will accept the other cat). Still praying about that one-

I found myself fervently chanting “Please God don’t let them have their kittens now!” He heard me and even though their stress level was off the charts, we made it to the vet without having a litter!

I hate that this has to happen. It is hard on the queens, it is hard on the vets and it is hard on the rescuers. But we know that although this bumps up our vet bill- in the long run it is cheaper than allowing these kittens to hit the ground. Without having a history of the two cats there is no way of knowing what disease or issues these kittens may have. Plus the queens only feed for so long and there is then the situation where you have to buy kitten food, get vaccinations, get them neutered and find them homes. Although they are right on the cusp of having their family, this is the only way to go. It’s not fair but until people start taking accountability every time they add a cat into their family and do the right thing by spaying and neutering- it is how it has to go.

I will be trying to make the catio porch comfortable for two females today. Figure out some way to give them height- since the space is narrow 4’x8′ much larger than a small cage, but not a lot of room to roam about. George will be here this afternoon and maybe we can figure something out before the girls come home.

The mackerel tabby girl is not feral, but heaven’s she is so scared. I was able to handle her with a towel and get her into a carrier. She didn’t try to bite or scratch but she was not a happy girl. She is carrying her kittens back and low and I was really praying they weren’t going to make a surprise entrance!

Ok, well my venting is over. I hope someday in the future, what I do and what I know best to do becomes obsolete. But right now, I don’t see that happening. We are still turning down kittens and cats daily- not much light at the end of this tunnel I am afraid.