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Not quite in their comfort zone yet, but they just got here. One is eating, the other isn’t but it takes time.

This morning, the new owner of Harper called me and I was given a glowing report on how Harper is doing in her new home. Although only being with them less than 24 hours, she has made them her-own. She slept with them on the bed last night, snuggled on Gary’s chest this morning when he was in the recliner watching the news. As she spoke to me, Brenda said that Callie-Anne was lying on her lap asleep! I couldn’t be more pleased because this cat was clearly not happy here and I just knew that if she had a home with no other animals she would blossom- and that is what she is doing. I love it when a plan comes together!

Grayson and Sheba are still not eating, but Grayson has come out fo the carrier and I am finding him in different places in the room. It will take a few days for them to decompress. As emotional as their owner was yesterday when I picked them up- they clearly have been living with a lot of stress lately and that is never easy for cats so attached to someone. I will be going out cat food shopping later to see if I can find the right combination of food to entice them to eat. She was feeding blue buffalo and there is none to be found locally. I have to drive to Eugene to get that food or order it online.

Tonight, a phone call from a tearful woman desperate to find a home for her two cats sucked me under quite quickly. If there was no such thing as bad luck, this woman would be fine, but she has been beset with some tragic circumstances in her life resulting in her eviction and now she has to move into a shelter. Through tears and sobs she told me she had contacted every animal rescue group, shelter and vet in the area trying to get help. Someone recommended she try me.

After listening to her for 20 minutes my heart was so heavy, I could barely walk. We were at her home at 6:00 picking up a gorgeous pair of grey short hair cats Willow and Tucker. They are now tucked upstairs in a room and they are quiet, undoubtedly wondering why their world was suddenly being rocked to the core.

When I met Kristen, she could barely hold back the tears and I knew this break was difficult for her- she has had these two since they were kittens…so I told her, I would board them, free of charge until she gets herself on her feet again and then she can have them back when she has an actual home they can go to. I don’t think she believed me at first and then the tears just wouldn’t stop. I’m such a sucker.

I hear sad stories all the time- some are made up but this one, I fear isn’t and she has a long row ahead of her both healthwise, jobwise and every other wise in between. The cats are friendly, so that is a plus and perhaps soon I will be able to merge them with the others- but for now, at least two weights have been lifted from her heart and she can concentrate on herself and her situation better.

The little tortie girl who was so out-of-sorts here among the other cats is now in her forever home. I took her and Secret with me for the family to meet, and when I took Harper out of the carrier, she walked over to the mom and leaped in her lap, kneaded her knees and left an impressive drool pool on her pants leg! When Brenda looked over at me and said “I thought you said she would probably hide from me!” I laughed and shrugged my shoulders and told her that I think this is a match made in heaven and Harper had never done that to me at all!

We were in the big bathroom (because Brenda said there wasn’t anyplace for the kitties to hide there) But, Harper made a liar out of both of us, because after she jumped down from Brenda’s lap, she slid underneath the vanity! LOL I don’t think Brenda even knew there was space under there as most bathroom vanities go clear to the floor. It took some doing for me to get her back out from under that vanity, but I did and popped her back into her carrier. She is a perfect home and I couldn’t be more pleased. Based on where she came from- she is leaps and bounds in a much better place. Brenda completely flipped for her as well.

Secret wasn’t meant to be there. All she wanted to do was hide behind the toilet- poor girl. I may just end up keeping her as she has gone on several adoptions and been rejected each time. I think she might be getting a complex by now!

On the Google front- she is holding her own- still ravenous when she eats and still using the litterpan. Cautiously optimistic about her chances now- but she is clearly not out of the woods yet-

Google has found her therapy! Hope she doesn’t start gambling!

She has gained 2 pounds!! I think we might finally be ahead of this monster, but I don’t want to get my hopes up yet. She still has such an oily coat that is never a good sign and even after a bath, five minutes later, the oil returns. We will continue with her medications, supplements and extra treats (boiled chicken, cooked lamb and veal) and see how it goes. Her rump isn’t as red, her gums aren’t bleached white and Dr. Steve was encouraged and not defeated. She is upstairs now wishing I bet, that I was up there with her to play with her. That will have to come later in the day-

I got word recently that my 93 year old father is slipping away from reality and waiting to embrace death. This is the man who taught me compassion towards animals, especially cats. I will never forget in the home we grew up in, there was a drainnage ditch behind our house. My sister and I were playing in the backyard and she spotted a speck of white bobbing in the water below the ditch. Screaming, she ran into the house and I peered through the wire wondering what in the world this white would be?

Soon, here comes my father to the rescue Mr. Love (my maiden name) as he was known throughout our neighborhood. Ladder and net in hand, he climbed the fence and scooped the white object out of the ditch. He handed my sister Nancy, a wet, sodden bunny rabbit and then went back to scoop again. There were two rabbits some callous person had thrown over the fence to drown them. I believe that was the first taste of human to animal cruelty that I encountered. It would not be the last.

Under my father’s care these rabbits grew up in our home. We called the big white bunny Sherlock and his counterpart, a black and white bunny was of course Watson. They freely ran through the house with our cats and when the cats got so bold as to even get close, Sherlock would turn his enormous bunny butt and slam them across the room with one kick! They never ventured near him again. The rabbits pooped in the cats litter pan. They would scamper through the halls and sleep on our beds (much to the dismay of Mother) and brought us all such joy. Well, some of us anyway! LOL

I remember kittens coming home in Daddy’s mailbag from time to time. He used to walk to work every day and had to cross a field to get to the post office- he would often find abandoned kittens there and bring them home to show us how to care for them.

Now, he is withdrawn “cranky as all get-out” according to my mother and believes mistakenly that two of his daughters who worship him, hate his guts. He is near-deaf from an old war injury and his vision is clouded by cataracts that Mother couldn’t get him to have removed back when they could be- now it is to late and he is near-blind.

I was told he doesn’t want me near him- he doesn’t want anyone but my middle sister and she will go there and be with my parents (yes they are still married) once a week for a month.

I can do nothing at all except continue on in the tradition of this man I remember. The one who taught me how to bottle feed a baby squirrel found in the grass. The man who lifted me high over his head, so I could return a baby robin to the nest. His love for all creatures is what has driven me to the path I am in, and I can only mourn the passing of his mind and soon the rest of him- and embrace all he taught me, teach others and continue to rescue the creatures who need it the most.

It is my way of honoring him- today and for however long God wants me on this planet. Thank you “Daddy”for the love you gave me to pass on to others in need.

Speaking of critters in need- Google is going back to the vet today. We are going to have to opt for the bloodwork to see what type of bacteria has invaded this little kitten’s body. It will take a few weeks, I am told for the final culture to grow- but perhaps then we will have an answer as to why Google who eats like a horse is dropping weight daily.

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I just got the call, Trey tested positive for FIV- which stands for Feline Immunodefiency Virus- in other words- AIDS for cats. I asked that he be put down. 🙁

They said he didn’t have any broken bones, just a lot of open cat wounds, abscesses and the like. Someone didn’t neuter this boy and he paid for it with his life.

Trey, I am so very sorry that your life was so difficult and I couldn’t somehow make it better except to release you from pain-

This tom is old- poor boy. He is the one who I mentioned a few days ago that was seen near a hospital by someone who has adopted a cat from me. I dropped off my trap yesterday and he was caught today. He is upstairs (still in the trap) but he is an ominous growler and I don’t want to put him into the cage before the vet sees him (which will be first thing tomorrow morning). I hate to keep him in the trap but think after looking at all his injuries including a large slash across his neck! That this is the only way to handle him right now. We just got back from West Eugene to pick him up- I have fed him and gave him water and hope he doesn’t wear his food by morning. He is covered and quiet now. i don’t know if the aggression he showed me is because he is wild, or because of pain- but tomorrow I suspect he will stay at the vet overnight so they can fix his leg that is pretty mashed up. 🙁