Recently, I put a donation jar at a local shop in town. Face it, everyone is broke from the holidays or dealing with their own crisis and donations aren’t high in the month of Jan. I still have several hundred dollars owed to my vet.

So I got a large pickle jar and decided to jazz it up a bit and decorate it with photos of the kitties here for adoption. One of those kitties is Glory Bee.

Last night I got a call from a man who said “You have our kitty!”

I went “Excuse me?”

He laughed (thank God) and said “I am here at the store looking at your donation jar, and I see our kitty we lost on your jar!”

And indeed, it turns out that Glory belongs to him and his wife. His wife has recently been quite ill and he has been shuttling her from Portland almost four times a week. They are retired and usually home. Their calico vanished during this time and their calico is GLory!!!!

Roger said his wife is in the hospital but she will be getting better now that her kitty has been located! I bring Glory back to her owners tonight!!!!!!!

Doesn’t matter that the CATS Inc., donation jar is empty, this is the reward worth waiting for!!!

It has now been over two weeks since I last spotted Patience. I have to wonder if pushing her to accept my pets has led this former cat hoarder’s kitty to find a safer place to go? My hope is she has been adopted out- but that is doubtful. Although she is a gorgeous kitty, people around here are more apt to adopt a dog than a cat.

Speaking of dogs, my new neighbor who when he moved in told everyone who would listen that he hates cats and would shoot any cat in his yard- now owns a pitbull. The dog is running freely in the pasture and yard and yesterday the guy saw me and smirked. I don’t know if this pit is friendly or not. B-dog who was attacked by a pit in her past isn’t going to get close enough to find out and I hope my cats will also steer clear of the yard now. The kids are all excited about their new dog and since the man has a toddler, I hope the dog is friendly. In our town the pitbull seems to be the dog of choice and many of them aren’t in loving homes.

The cold weather is lifting (sorry for those on the East Coast who are battling such severe cold). There is a week of rain coming and we really need it. Our lake is 23 feet below normal right now.

The kittens started treatment yesterday and poor Jedi had such severe diarrhea last night. I cleaned her cage several times but it just kept coming which I suppose is the point, but poor girl. She is exhausted right now and cuddling with Mike while wrapped in a towel. kojak seems to be better than before so maybe all of this was a worm load- although they were given drontal several times. Time will tell.

First off, thank you to those of you who have sent inquiries about why I haven’t been blogging of late. I appreciate that you follow this life of mine, however hectic or unpredictable it can become. I am fine now, was sidelined by a nasty virus (although I did take the flu shot) and then Mike got it as well and I was busy trying to take care of him. I know that I have men who read my blog, but women can relate when I say that men are such babies when they are sick! Mike is no exception he plumb wore me out in taking care of him while he was down.

On the Mike front, he has lost 15 pounds, I have lost 21. His legs are slowly improving although there have been some drawbacks at times but the necrotic tissue is almost gone and I am breathing a bit easier.

On the kitty front- Agatha is now Queen of her new home and I went to see her the other day and I had to laugh. She was splayed out along the end of the couch (she looked like a bear rug!) The family had decided instead of sitting on the couch, they would sit on the floor “so not to disturb her!” I believe she is where she needs to be and I left smiling.

I had a bad bout of kitty diarrhea hit here with several kittens affected. Fecals were taken and nothing was really discovered until I started logging a lot of stuff down and I think I have figured it out. It isn’t just Jedi who is sensitive to market foods, it is all the kittens who encounted the distemper virus. Although it took the Kitty down to almost a zero amount. I am now feeding a high-end cat feed (dry). I am no longer free feeding (except for the barn cats) and it seems to be working. I also am setting out small amounts of canned pumpkin as the kittens love it and eat it like candy. The older cats can’t be bothered, but they are fine anyway. It is much more expensive to feed the high-end low residue food, except if you take into consideration the amount of the vet bill that will be reduced in the long-run. At least that is my hope. I believe the distemper virus has skewed the kittens digestive system and the insoluble fibers so often found in the market foods (and the food donated by kind folk to our sanctuary) is full of the buggers! Even jedi has been better, she has a discharge now that is occassional but nothing major. In my research on this issue, I did find out that chicken by products generally means ground beaks, feet and bone. I never knew that and although kitties are carnivores, they don’t generally eat bones in their diet.

The local feed store had put up a giving tree this Christmas and asked three of the local rescues to participate. We all made our wish list- one rescue did horses, one dogs, and us and with our cats. The store called me yesterday and told me regretfully that NO ONE this year contributed anything to any of the rescues! It was a sobering take on the economy and this dying town. I was sad because I know the horse rescue has over 62 horses to care for but it didn’t surprise me much.

My oldest sister is all excited. Her significant other gave her a pretty cool Christmas gift. They are going to spend two weeks in the arctic inside a “tundra lodge” and get up close and personal with polar bears! Hmm- when I was in Alaska, I saw a polar bear take down a seal and getting up close and personal to that claw action would not thrill me. But Gwen is a photographer and one of her black bear photos is online (will see if I can find the link) and it got her some pretty sweet prizes when it won a contest. They travel all over the world so this would be the gift you give someone who has everything. So I guess Frank scored there! LOL

Hope everyone is doing good. Your cats have survived the craziness that usually accompanies the holidays and all of you are now signed up with obamacare! LOL

God Bless-

MA

Unless this beautiful girl stays on a special food, she gets leaky stool and it is so sad. They have thrown everything they can think of on her to stop this from happening and I have been reduced to putting her in the special enclosure which gives her access to the outside. Not a good thing for a young kitten. It is either that or live in a cage for the rest of her life.

So I put a specially worded ad out about her and I hope to find someone who is catless, who has the patience to keep her on the low-residue diet (which is sadly prohibitively expensive or I would put ALL the cats on it) and who is willing to wait this out until her system develops more and she can thrive like a normal kitty.

Wish us luck- I even emailed Best Friends in Kanub Utah in the hopes that they might take her and be able to either cure her forever or find her a loving home

Ms Glory Bee is a bed hog! It’s a king size bed, a california king at that, but everywhere I wanted to lie down, so did she. Not by my side but on my legs, my stomach, my chest, my neck! I have finally given in and come out here to try and sleep on the couch but haven’t the heart to move ten cats already claiming it. Maybe I should just surrender and sleep on the floor? LOL

Glory is a far cry from the semi-feral cat who first arrived here earlier in the year. Mike said she is just grateful to be off that cold porch- although he did sacrifice his electric blanket for her to lie on so she wasn’t entirely cold at night.

So now it is Christmas and the kitties are all inside and clustered around the heaters for warmth. 18 degrees at the moment. Thanks to Santa’s Elves, there were 5 more snuggle discs sent our way and so the outside kitties also have heat sources to turn to. The kitties cleaned up this year with so many goodies- I thank all who visited the wish list and put this sanctuary back to where it was before distemper hit us.
We had lost not only so many kittens, but also cat beds, toys, condos litter pans. It was a turbulent year but there were rewards along the way with many kittens and a few seniors finding loving, forever homes. That’s what it is all about- putting them in safe hands and not having to worry about them again.

So many came through our doors and some were only here for a brief time before passing to the Bridge but they left many lessons behind and oh they were so loved: Others have gone on to fill emptiness in people’s lives and bring laughter and love to a home. No house is a home without a cat.

We had Cotton and Ember the two inbred minature Persians who went on to make two families so happy.

Adopted out this year were: Secret, Miss Hiss,Sinclair, Braveheart, Scully,Maggie May, Kira, Muggles, Katella,Rayne, Pearl, Grayson, Tover, Cooper, Jackson,Serena,Napoleon,Autumn, Promise, Serendipity,Bristol, Bootsy,Sahara, Fawn,Truman (who is now living large in Hawaii!) Sheba, Solo, Ashes,Kirby Flanigan,Jazzy,Star,McKenna, Toad, Willow, Bright Eyes,Sahara, Calico, Karma and last but certainly not least Agatha.

Returned back to the sanctuary: Jordan, Salem and Jazzy. Jazz was re-adopted and doing fine.

Bridge babies- God knows their names now and they will all stay on my heart for a very long time.

It’s been a long year, a trying year one of a lot of tears and frustrations but that is part of the package of rescuing. I’m certainly glad ALL of you were along for the ride, because I couldn’t have done it without you-

God Bless You ALL

M.A.

Agatha, the rescue from Portland, the dilute calico with the mystery tail now has her own home! The home was small which was to her liking although the first place she decided to hide was under their Christmas tree! Then, she decided under the sectional sofa was a much better option but before she dove under, she made the rounds met the mom, the dad and the 8 year old boy.

For the time I was there, I was encouraged because I kept checking her whereabouts. At first, she was squished in the corner, but as the minutes went by and I shone my flashlight under the sofa, she was inching closer and closer to the front and ready to come out of hiding. I suspect in two days she will be sharing their bed and purring them to sleep. YAY! Now, I can take Glory off the cold porch and put her in the bedroom-

4:19 p.m. Just received a call from Kristie, Agatha’s new owner. Two hours after I left, Aggie came out from under the couch, jumped on Tyler’s lap, head-bumped him several times and has been out ever since! She is eating and Kristie told me I was right- Agatha’s purrs fill the room. I loved getting that phone call. Fitting end to a turbulent beginning for this wonderful cat.

Typically, I do not adopt out cats or kittens after Dec 12th. Experience has shown me that Christmas “spontaneous” adoptions rarely work. but this woman who called me earlier sounded quite distraught. She has recently lost her 15 year old to cancer and she said she can’t bear the thought of another day without a cat or a kitten in her life.

We talked extensively and she is partial to either white kitties, black kitties, siamese kitties, gold kitties. So I am taking in the morning to her home four potential adoptions: Jordan (2 year old Siamese mix) Sophia (one of the distemper survivors) Agatha (the four year old Calico with a strange tail) and Roscoe the rambunctious one.

This is not a case of 6 year old Sarah wanting a kitty for Christmas. This is an older woman who adores cats and has found herself catless and unable to bear it. If all goes well- one of mine will find their furrever home tomorow.

Wish me luck- we are off to the adoption!

She comes sashaying out of the darkness and headbumps my ankles. Her mews now are quieter as her trust deepens with each day. I made the mistake of picking her up a few weeks ago and she vanished for five days putting me in a bit of a panic. I wanted to bring her inside and perhaps she felt my intentions even before I moved, because she scrambled from my arms and fell to the ground below. I worried when she didn’t show up that she had injured herself- but she is fine. (TYG)

She stays by my side as I dish out the food. I explain to her that in warmer weather (47 degrees!) The wet food goes on hold until the cold comes soaring in. I don’t think she appreciates this tactic, but it is one I hold to. They eat dry all day- and wet food only when it gets really cold, for that is how they stay warmer. Plus, my supply is finally dwindling.

I received a wonderful donation of dry food the other day, the only problem is some of the food is not one which even my outdoor cats will touch. If I put it outside, the only animals who eat it are the coons, skunks and possums. I know of an elderly woman who feeds scads of cats so this morning before the sun came up, I drove to her home and left the WalMart brand of cat food on her porch. I hope it brought her a smile when she saw 7 bags of Special Kitty waiting for her.

Mike and I are spending a quiet Christmas at home with the animals. The other day in the store, I won a free Christmas tree. I laughed when they announced over the loudspeaker that I had won this and told them with 23 cats, Christmas trees are not in the program. Instead, I re-gifted it to a family who were shopping that day and didn’t have a tree. If we put up a tree, it would be devoid of ornaments and lights because the kitties would be in the tree, on the tree, toppling the tree, spilling the water, drinking the water, eating the presents-been there and done that- no thank you! LOL

I wish all of you a beautiful, loving and peaceful Christmas full of purrs and good wishes. May 2014 be kinder to us all!

This is the type of environment that Patience, Stalker, Funny Face and Mrs. Claus were asked to live in:

Former Home

Yesterday, some Yahoo (I am being nice here insert your own label) dangled a 4 month old kitten out of the window of his speeding SUV and dropped the little one on the road!

Thankfully, a couple behind the man, stopped their car and instead of pursuing the jerk- they opted to rush the kitten to a local vet.

“Edmund” has a broken femur (lucky kitty) and is shaken but not stirred although it is likely emotional issues are brewing once he gets his health back.

Tis the season to be Loving, and Jolly, and Merry and bring Goodwill to all, NOT to dump innocent kittens on a busy freeway!

There is an online fund raiser for the kitty. You can follow the link to learn more

Edmund

Vet believes it might just be a stubborn strain of the calicivirus so she has been put on new meds that will hopefully calm things down. I am also putting her on some OTC allergy meds to try and dry up her sniffles. Just hope it works!