Whisper died this afternoon and I am still stunned and saddened by her sudden departure. She had crawled back behind a piece of furniture and I thought at first when I found her there, that she was stuck. But after what happened, I know she went back there to die.

She was found at 10:00 this morning and gone by 3:00 she went quickly which is a saving grace but it doesn’t make me feel better at all. I did the best I could with supportive fluids and assist feedings, but in the end, her eyes were open but her will to live was gone and she faded quick.

I laid her in the forest as the land is still covered with frost and snow and I broke apart afterwards as she was such a sweet kitty.

When they handed her over to me, the husband told me that he had her vaccinated, then a few days later he let on that he lied about her vaccinations. I don’t know if vaccinating her would have saved her, but it might have helped, depending on how long she had been incubating this dreadful disease.

I’m devastated about this turn of events and I know that everything happens for a reason. I am just not sure what the reason behind this death will turn out to be.

There is a candle in the window for her to light her way- goodbye sweet girl-you are free from pain and running Heaven’s grasses with your friends.

Tonight, I signed the final, final final papers to become a non-profit! I am now a corporation:CATS. Inc., Caring About The Strays.

This means I now can place my cats on Petfinders.com, take them to Petco to try and find them homes, solicit funds through legitimate fundraisers and look for sponsors as soon as I figure out how!

If anyone wants to sponsor a special needs kitty, I have several here that will apply and the best thing is- it will be tax-deductible for you.

I would go out and celebrate, but instead, I made another payment on my vet bill, bought some cat litter and cat food and I am five minutes away from dumping my shoes on the floor and propping my feet up while I watch some mindless movies with hubby.

He had his MRI today and it was rough for him because he had to lie flat. He can’t breathe right if he lies flat.

It was a year long process to wade through the questions and forms from the government and now it is just a waiting game-

Yesterday, a friend of mine presented me with a grooming certificate, so I took Dexter in to get him groomed. Well the girl who did it (at a pet supply company) wasn’t a true groomer and she shaved all the hair off Dexter and called it a “Spring Cut.” Now, he reveals what he is- he is a chihuhaua/yorkie mix.

I brought him back to the truck where his master awaited and when I handed him to Mike- MIke looked at him and told me to go back and get our dog! LOL

He is now being called a Chawarkie and I think Dex is upset with me. The cats are laughing at him now!

My question is who stole our dog?

It has become a source of great amusement here at the house between Mike and I. Both of us have never cared much for the breed itself, finding them yappy and a nuisance but Dexter isn’t like that at all. Since there is snow on the ground, and I have a big pile of XS dog clothes, at least I can offer him some protection when he goes outside now. Whoever thought that I would be dressing up a dog? I only dress up black cats! LOL

We had a snowstorm this morning! We had more snow this second day of Spring then we had all winter! I was out in it, driving Mike to appointments- thank the Lord for 4WD. I counted eight cars in the ditch and five power poles leaning dangerously close to the road. We just now got our power restored, it went off about 7:00 this morning.

Squirrel is healing a bit, she is peeing not pooping. I might give her some metamucil tomorrow to help things along. McKenzie has dried up so we are bottle feeding her babies every few hours. The other black kitty is doing well- whisper has decided that Dexter is her new best friend and life goes on-

I think I got everything caught up- Mike’s MRI is tomorrow and then we wait to hear from the surgeon about the next step. Fingers crossed that it will be good news. More snow in the forecast, thankfully the MRI is later in the day so hopefully by then all the idiots who drive fast on the icy road will either be home or in jail-

My heart hurts to look at this big gaping wound on her hind-end. They have left it open and given her both an antibiotic shot and pain shot to get her through. I have her in the bedroom and the litter pans are full of shredded paper so she won’t get stuff in her wound. Poor kitty- but I covered the bed and she is lying there asleep now-

Just returned from the vet. One of my barn kitties who vanished over a month ago, came home tonight in a terrible state. I rushed her to the vet where they found she has a abscessed anal gland.

She is spending the night, they have flushed out the wounds, trimmed off the dead skin and kept it open to drain. She has been sedated and given an antibiotic shot. I will pick her up in the morning and try and make arrangements on the bill that won’t get me kicked off the planet. LOL

I am just glad she is home and that she is safe. She has lost a lot of weight in her absence but she is eating.

Dexter is now my early morning alarm clock, so I am up early trying to get some articles finished. It is difficult to write when you have a beautiful Siamese boy dancing with your computer screen.

He s growing into such a handsome kitty and he has been placed in four homes but he always get returned for various reasons. Mike says it is because he is a “keeper” so I guess he is right. Fog is certainly bonded with me moreso than the others.

He seems intent on chasing the cursor-heaven only knows what he would do if I installed one of those cat friendly screen savers!

Although it is supposed to be close to Spring right now, there is snow on the ground this morning! Not a lot but enough to drive with care when you are on the road.

I have to laugh, I have Fog blocking my screen- McGee on top of my printer, MK on top of my computer and Tover in my lap! Welcome to my world-

Over the years, this ol blog has become my friend. A pipeline to a stream of sanity that sometimes my day feels that it lacks. This blog doesn’t exist to entertain the masses, (though I am sure many find it humorous that at times I can have over a dozen cats scampering under my feet.) It isn’t meant to be educational either, although a small part of me hopes that in sharing my life, I also manage to show people ways to get along with a “feral” cat. It isn’t put here to win awards or recognition- it simply is a journal of my life, just my life, day-to-day all the challenges faced, obstacles overcome and joys celebrated.

I’ve kept a journal since I was 12 years old. There are boxes of noteboooks, both hard and soft- backed in the attic along with diaries where the keys are long lost. Even scraps of paper scribbled on, such as the napkin I found the other day, scribbled hastily on a flight to North Carolina when I was 13 years ago. It says “Oh My Stars! Glen Campbell is on this plane!” I will admit that I asked him to sign every piece of stationary I was carrying with me so when I wrote my friends from my grandparent’s home they would have a lovely surprise. He very kindly did just that and never complained once!

This blog doesn’t exist to drum up sympathy points or even to raise monies for cats who need it. It exists to keep me at my center, so I can work things out- see them as they really are and not hide from the facts.

I debated on this next step- to make my reality real here. To show the world, the fight over Mike’s leg. But, if posting this photo here saves even one life, it will be worth it. It is not an easy photo to view- it shows the complete breakdown of a leg denied circulation for a very long time- a leg that hasn’t seen the light of day for 8 months due to being wrapped up hip to toe three times a week. It shows you what Diabetes can do to someone you love, or even to yourself if you are fighting this dreadful disease.

Mike was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes over 7 years ago and once he started insulin shots, the problems just started happening.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words- this one is worth a thousand tears- look at it try to identify it as a leg (because it looks alien to me.) But if you know someone battling Diabetes, do all you can to be supportive but firm and try to get them to really pay attention to caring about themselves. With the abscess- even with the neuropathy, he does feel pain. He says on a scale of 1-10 he is sitting at a 9.5

It is why I can’t write articles, keep up with the new litter of kittens upstairs and why I can’t sleep easily at night. We are preparing for the worst on April 6th when we see the orthopedic surgeon again and hoping for the best when told of the results from the MRI scheduled on the 22nd of March.

Click only if you have to:

mikes leg

This morning, I called the previous owner of Dexter to tell her how he spent the night. (He slept on the bed with me and two other cats.) When I told her this she said she was quite surprised. Said he had never slept with her, just slept inside of a carrier every night. Then she added- ” I have never really ever petted him nor has he ever been on my lap!”

She taught him at a early age due to her allergies and asthma to lay on a throw rug in a stay. Then she would pick up the edges of the rug and take him where he needed to go, potty, to the vet, wherever. If he traveled in her car, he did so inside of travel carrier. This dog is not used to human touch which is why this morning when Mike stopped petting him- he bit him. Not hard, no blood, not even red skin- just a statement “Pay Attention to Me!”

I was so stunned. To have this wonderful critter in your home and not be able to touch him- what agony the two of them must have endured!

We are making up for lost time- right now, Dex is sharing Mike’s lap with Taylor.

The other cats are getting used to him slowly. Fog and Tandem are the two I am having the most issues with, but they will figure it out in time.

We have a new rescue critter. His name is Dexter and his owner very sadly had to find another home for him. I got him to be a comfort for Mike and this has seemed to work. They have bonded strongly. His name used to be Charlie, but we have changed it, isn’t he cute?!? He is a yorkie/terrier mix a year old,

He loves the kitties they aren’t to sure about him though!