Last night while lying in bed trying to sleep, I could hear Patience softly meowing. I started praying for divine guidance with her. I know that her last encounter with houses was pretty ugly because she was owned by a hoarder. Is she wondering where all those piles of rotting garbage went? Is she talking to God, or planning an escape? I finally got up and went out to visit with her. That’s when I saw a small hole in the wire at the bottom of the door just covered with her fur.

I looked at her for the longest time. It was 2:00 in the morning and freezing outside, but I opened up the cage door and gently scooped her up. Scruffing her neck so I wouldn’t get bit or scratched and supporting her rear so as not to hurt her, I went over to the window and opened it.

I placed her outside on the platform. Gave her a gentle pat of goodbye and told her I hoped I would see her again. Then I shut the window, turned off the lights and turned to go back into the bedroom and get some sleep.

The minute I reached the bedroom door, I heard this horrible meowing from outside! I rushed over to turn on the outside lights (thinking she was getting attacked by something) and there she was by the door clamoring to come back IN! I opened the door and she scooted inside and wrapped herself around my legs. So, I picked her up and put her back in to the cage.

This is similiar to what she used to live in:

And here she is this morning! She even allowed me to start combing some matts out of her fur! Yes, I am surprised about her “non-feral” nature now.

Day2:

I wouldn’t call her a happy cat, but with another nasty storm barreling our way- at least I know she is safe-

Patience

It was only a matter of time before Jedi’s cage came to good use again!

Had a couple interested in meeting Bentley, so last night, off I went to meet with the two of them with Bentely in tow. I have Onstar and had I followed the route directions they loaded into my car system, I probably wouldn’t be in the land of the living today!

The computer directed me to turn down this one street in Eugene. I did as directed and as I was driving through some industrial complexes, the street lights vanished and it got really dark. It was only 7:30 but it was stormy as all heck! I had this strange feeling as the voice directed me further down this road. It went from paved to gravel then to dirt. I stopped, got out of the car and just listened. I could hear water all around me. I grabbed the flashlight and shined it in the road ahead to see there was no road ahead! There was a lake- but as I played the light around, I could see something to the right of the lake, sort of sticking out of the water. Turned out to be a stop sign! The road had washed out and somehow the warning signs and other emergency signals had ended up in the water instead of blocking the road!

I got back in the car and contacted OnStar and they stayed on the line with me until I made it to the destination point safely. I’m glad I had that feeling and stopped to check out this road.

Then I met the couple interested in Bentley, and they were nice. They had a lovely place but it was an apartment and Bentley, his activity level isn’t suited for apartment living. The more I stayed and talked to them, I just got the feeling that they realy didn’t want a kitten or a cat- they wanted an unusual kitten or cat- a conversation piece (if that makes sense?) I asked them to think about it and left with Bentley with me. When I got home, I emailed them and told them I didn’t think that he would fit well in their lives.

Did I think they were unsuitable for a cat? No, not at all. I am sure they would have loved him and cared for him till the end of his days. I just didn’t think that what they were really looking for had set in with them yet and I didn’t want him stuck in an apartment looking out the window and wondering where his freedom went.

Here is Noah, who now will come down out of the rafters as soon as he hears me enter the shop. Someone has put love into this tom- but for right now, I am just not going to trap him. I don’t want to traumatize him and believe in about a week, he will allow me to just put him in the carrier and take him to the vet. I’ll get him neutered then release him outside. If he does belong to someone, then when he gets home- they will be surprised by his missing parts! Most of the neighbors don’t care for cats in the manner I do. I was told yesterday that on the back road, there is a gentleman and his wife who “collect kittens.” They bring them inside and love on them until they are tired of them (or until the kitten grows into a cat) Then they put them outside and ignore them and go get other kittens and start the process over..sigh. I have to wonder if he is part of the “ignored group.” I can’t get on their property- it’s heavily fenced with scary signs that I would just as well steer clear of. Some of these people living rurally are a bit “odd.

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Before I relay my scare this morning (at 4:00 a.m.) let me set the scene: Like so many others in the United States right now, our state is enduring some pretty prickly weather. The outside cats have mostly gone to ground, hunkering down until they feel it’s safe to poke their heads out (no more limbs snapping and plummeting to the ground) obstacles flying through the air and scary high winds, heavy snow or rain.

Last week a large spruce tree limb fell on the front part of the shop roof. This is the room where I feed the cats who come into the shop. Because of the weather, after the limb was removed, we just tarped over the top of the roof with the hole, then put a second tarp inside the room (to catch falling tree debris).

Ok, so this morning, I walk into the room and the tarp is lower than it should be. I really don’t think much of it. The winds were fierce last night and even though part of the roof is tarped, the winds can still get under it. I don’t turn the shop lights on, I work by flashlight only, so I am in a semi-darkened room, ducking down so the tarp doesn’t hit me in the head. As I bend down and open up a can of food, I hear a rustling noise. Thinking it might be Noah (the kitty who came in on the last flood of rain) I look up into the rafters and call him softly. I play the beam of light along the rafters, but he isn’t in his usual place.

I turn around to finish feeding (and forget to stoop this time) and something plops on my head and just starts growling. The tarp is still in place, but whatever is in there- isn’t happy! It’s sort of a rumble growl unlike a cat. I’ve heard it before (it’s a coon sound) It’s just sitting on my head and not moving, and quite frankly, neither am I!”Growl….growl…rumble…snort-” the noises are growing in frequency. I quickly duck down to the ground-scramble out one of the other doors into the main shop- hit the breaker box and turn on ALL the lights- bells whistles the whole deal. The compressor starts roaring- MIke’s grinder fan sounds off all the lights go on and this poor, scared racoon scrambles out from under the tarp and heads for the cat door at top speed!

I throw open the outer double doors just to be sure the intruder is gone and see the coon running up our pine tree and vanishing from sight. I don’t know who was scared more hairless- him or me? As I was making my way back to the house, my legs weren’t working right and I slid in a pile of slush and fell right on my butt! At least the windstorm last night had nicely left me with a big pile of fresh pine needles to cushion my fall!

One word “WOW!”

Video

Glory (whose original owners decided to leave here) has decided Jedi’s cage is the place she wants to be. As with most calico strays, she has problems with other cats in the sanctuary, so this cuts down the conflict.

Here she is and can you say attitude? LOL

Glory

Tonight when I went to feed the cats who frequent the shop, I heard a strange meowing from overhead. I didn’t recognize the meow and didn’t want to turn on the shop lights because Mike has rewired the shop to his breaker box. You turn on the lights, the compressor and all his noisy machinery goes on at the same time. Scares me, I am sure it would startle the stray. I resorted to the flashlight in my pocket.

The light of the beam revealed a very young mackeral tabby kitten staring at me from the rafters. She was crying repeatedly and eventually with the help of the pop of a cat food can, she came down and wrapped herself around my legs. She is a very soft gray and her pattern is faint but her meow is strong and she looks to be in good health. I suspect she is just about a year old. I’m guessing she is female, praying she isn’t pregnant- so I made her a soft bed for the night and put out plenty of food.
She’s very pretty- but for now, she is safer outside than inside so I will let her be until she trusts me enough for me to put her in a carrier and take her to the vet.

We have limbs and debris down all over the property. The winds right now are howling and the rain is slamming down but for now, she is safe. I built a fire in the wood stove out there to keep it warm and I am sure as the night continues, other cats will come in to share the warmth.

This is possibly the most confusing contest I have ever entered, because it is filled with tons of entries. It is on a facebook page of Mommie Shorts and backed by Freshpet. Prizes range from food to money and you have to like my photo of Mike and Jedi Night in order for me to advance. I am in the family cuddle portion. You have to look for the contest on the page first of all then hit (see all) then find the photo and like it. I just entered it late yesterday too and it is already flying off the page. There are so many adorable photos- but if you are so inclined and want to go on a photo hunt LOL Be my guest. There has to be a simplier way to have your friends like this page, but I did not find it.

MommieShorts

The kitty who arrived with two others (who did not survive) The kitty endlessly dripping poop and frustrating the devil out of my vet? Remember when he had to be hospitalized for feline distemper? Well here he is outside today on a quick supervised play.

I almost gave up on him- but my vet refused to do so. I am so glad he talked me out of punching Bent’s bridge pass. My hope is to find him a wonderful loving home this week-

Here’s a better picture of what my vet calls “His fun tail!”

and here he is when he first arrived-