But it rings, and it rings constantly especially during this time of year.

Tonight, I get a call from a woman who has been frantically trying to find someone to take 2 tortie sisters about 7 weeks old. She is between a rock and a hard spot and her landlord has denied her request to keep any more cats than what she already has. So- we talk awhile and I find that she uses the same vet as I do and she has an appointment in the morning to get the mom cat spayed.

I look over in Mike’s direction and see how he is liking this phone call and he sees the look in my eyes (he knows I love torties) and he nods his approval.

So the two tortie girls are now in the bedroom. When I went to pick them up, I was both amused and impressed that the woman called the vet and asked about ME! Thankfully, she was told I’m okay- LOL But I think that is the first time, I have ever had someone check up on me- generally, I am busy checking up on them.

Lord help me, now I have 4 spays and 3 neuters looming in the future- and all because my phone keeps ringing.

Last night, I ran across a poem that someone “Unknown” had written- who knows how many years ago. It seems fitting to leave it here on the page- to honor a day that changed America forever. A day where we all collectively wept, then held hands and dug in- working for the good of our neighbors, hatred, politics, differences cast aside. We were all one- and we all mourned-

What did you do today? Was anyone happy that you passed their way? Does anyone remember that you spoke today? What type of a difference did you perform today?

As you close your eyes in slumber, do you think that you can say: You have earned one more tomorrow by what you did today?May God continue to watch over us and may our leaders find that turning to God not only in times of crisis but in every day life is the answer to the ills facing us right now-

Now if you will excuse me, I need to go and hug my cats-

Written by someone I was honored to call my friend- this is a fitting piece for the day..

Pawprints in the Dust

Something must be in the air this year, because the phone calls from people wanting to adopt my cats have been decidedly odd. Here is one that I received last night- the caller was male:

“Hello?”
“I wanna a kitty”
“OK- I might be able to help you- can you tell me what you are looking for?”
“I wanna purty kitty!”
“A purty kitty?”
“Yeah a purty orange kitty, not an ugly kitty!”
“Why are you looking for a kitten right now?”
“Because!”
“Because why?”
“Because!” (angry)
“Well, because doesn’t cut it for me or the cats who are with me. I guess you will have to find your purty kitty elsewhere-”
click…..

LOL- I have no idea what this man’s idea of a purty kitty is centered on. If he thinks only orange kittens are “purty” or what, but in my experience I have found that when you work with someone with specific color or characteristics in mind when it comes to kitten adoption- it can turn into a nightmare for you and the cat or kitten in question.

When the kittens first arrived, they were so nutritionally depleted (due to parasite invasions) that I started cooking and giving them organ meats for some added nutrition. Although organ meats are certainly rich in certain minerals, it isn’t a good idea to feed them this all the time. The meat even though it was cooked- was always a bit tough to cut, so I would use my kitchen shears and cut the pieces small so they can manage them.

Well just like Pavlov’s experiment- my kittens when they hear those kitchen shears cutting anything, they come on a run crying and circling my heels. I could be cutting carrots, celery, onions, whatever, but they hear those blades open and close and they circle like sharks smelling blood in the water!

Silly kitties- I am feeding them PetSelect right now so I have to open up another container and appease them with a bit of the good stuff to get them away from my feet when I am using my kitchen shears.

About a month ago in the middle of the night, I stepped down hard on a cat toy (a tract ball with the cardboard insert missing) It was a hard step, and when I stepped off of it, I felt nauseated (which was wierd). The foot wouldn’t heal and I tried all types of drawing ointments and epsom salt soaks hoping to draw whatever was left in my foot out. Didn’t work. Mike dug on it a few times, and I tried digging on it and still it was painful. Last Sunday afternoon I had enough of the pain and went into the ER.

They did two ultrasounds. The first one the tech swore there was a piece of something in my foot 10 mm long and quite narrow. The doctor got ticked off because no one marked on my foot where the item was so I was sent back for a second ultra-sound. They couldn’t find the item then! Back I go to the ER room and the doctor decides to numb my foot OMG the pain was so intense on that shot! I had my hand in my mouth while I was screaming.

The doctor treated it as an abscess and drained just a bit out of it and I was sent home. I fell asleep exhausted on the couch. It was 8:00 p.m. when I got home.

I woke up at 3:00 a.m. screaming- rocking back and forth in pain, my foot was on fire. I am not a wimp to pain. I generally have a high tolerance, but this was excruciating. Mike panicked and ran me back to the ER where I was told I could pay for a CAT scan or an MRI- no way (no insurance). So they told me they would numb my foot again and dig some more. I told the doctor in no uncertain terms that if he put that shot back in my foot, I would kick all his teeth out. I was serious. So they decided to do it while I was sedated and they started an IV and knocked me out. I don’t remember much after that but Mike said even under sedation when they went to shoot my foot- they had to call another doctor in to hold my foot down because I was trying to kick the doctor in the face.

They didn’t find any object, they drained it a bit and it hurts like the dickens. They said I either punctured a nerve when I stepped on the toy or a bacterial infection entered my foot from the toy. The doctor thinks I have pasteurella or bordatella but I don’t have any of the symptoms- just major pain. The only time this feels better is when I am soaking the foot in warm water and GSE.

Hopefully, the pain will vanish soon and I can get back to my life. Right now MIke (who also can’t walk very well) has to do everything around here. The pain just needs prayer so it will go away and life can continue as normal. Though around here normal has its moments! The cats know I am doing poorly and are clustered all over me day and night. As long as they don’t step on my foot we are good.

This kitty, the latest to arrive is about 3 years old long-hair smushed nose so part Persian. Their fur mats when you look at them, and this girl has been living outside so long, she is one ball of mats! I’m calling her Mattie- they found her wandering out by the lake and brought her to me.

She is friendly enough and so I started working on her mats. I know better than to bath her right now, though she is filthy and she smells like scummy water. But if I do get her wet, those mats will seize up like concrete and even shaving her would be impossible.
Knotted up fur is both painful and distrurbs the cat because it restricts freedom of movement. It is also not healthy and can be dangerous. The mat starts on the end of the hair, and then the fur mats up underneath the knot. As the matted mess congeals behind the knot, it begins to pull the skin up and causes dandruff, dry skin or other irritations. If the mat isn’t worked with or dealt with, then the surrounding fur gets involved in the tangle and the kitty can be in a real mess health-wise.

When the seam ripper broke, Mattie looked at me as if to say “What now?” I thought for a few minutes and then remembered my crochet hooks upstairs. I ran up to get them- and by golly- they work really well to pull the mats away without pulling skin or hurting or cutting the cat. I try not to use scissors unless necessary because the last time I was un-matting Ms. Dash she twisted and I cut a slice out of her ear!

The vet laughed when I told him and he treated her in his waiting room and said it happens all the time! Not by me, not anymore. My shaver died months ago, so I worked on Mattie until about 2:00 a.m. then brushed her out and gave her a bath. What a stinky kitty she was for a bit there. I had two washbasins of fur left over at the end of her ordeal.

She has been fed and is sleeping upstairs near the sun spot. I will take her in on Monday and have her scanned for a chip. She looks pure and I suspect (or at least hope) someone is really missing her right now.

At any rate, need a good mat puller that won’t hurt the kitty- use a crochet hook and a seam ripper- but be sure and buy the larger seam ripper so it doesn’t break.

The paperwork regarding going non-profit is nothing short of over-whelming. I feel like the government is making me jump through hoops wearing a different hat every time I jump. But, the process has started and the first hoop (or hurdle) is the state. Each form carries a specific fee but officially I am now CATS (Caring About The Strays). It will take 2-6 months to hear back from the state (due to the backlog) but the process has started.

My goal is to cat-fence our acreage and build a sanctuary where older strays and ferals can live out their lives. In this county strays have no standing- shelters no longer will take them in and so they will live on our land till the end of their days unless they get adopted out to loving homes or placed in barns.

Adoptashelter.com has acknowledged my efforts and I will soon be listed on their website. If you search for my sanctuary’s name and go shopping under that name, the merchant will donate all proceeds of the sale(s) to my cats! You can also add your favorite shelter to their growing list and like them on facebook to spread the word. It’s pretty amazing when you think about it.

I care about the strays, I always have and always will. It’s in my blood and I want to make a difference for these cats who sometimes endure unimaginable things just to survive on their own.

As many times that I think I will throw in the towel- I know deep down, I am not going anywhere. Not when there is a cat outside in need of help.

Took a few days off to rest my heart. Despite all the efforts, we lost Magoo the other day in the early morning hours. The night before, I sat up all night with him on my chest, cuddling him, singing to him loving on him and he made it clear that the fevers have worn him out and he was ready to go.

Always so difficult to make the final decision, sign that white paper and stand by as the last breath is taken.

He was my shoulder buddy and I miss him still. No one has answers as to what this was, only that it must be genetic as the boys are now passed but the girls are strong, loving and thriving in their adopted homes.

I have learned that when there is a genetic defect in a litter- it will skirt the females and only attack the males because of the Y chromosones . The 6-7 month range is when it usually shows itself and Magoo just turned 7 months old.

A few days ago, my kitty radar went off and I knew that Magoo was NDW (not doing well) a term my vet uses for some of the more complex kitty cases. Magoo’s coat was getting a bit oily and he was acting off. I secluded him from the other kittens, took his vitals they weren’t alarming and just started to watch him a bit more closely.

Last night, despite the fact that he was eating, drinking and using the litter pan, his temperature soared to 105.9. I quickly started doing rubbing alcohol rubs on his feet and ears, gave him some fluids and pushed water orally. Thankfully, his fever has come down to 103.9 His third eyelid is pronounced in both eyes, his gums pale and most alarmingly, his rectum has turned from pink to white! I have never seen anything like this before and it will be a few hours before the clinic will be open.

I called a friend of mine this morning. She is a well-known and respected vet in New York and we talked at great length. There are two things that could be going on here- but really, only one because if he was bleeding out he would be weak (he’s not) he’s quieter, but he is not weak. He would be vomiting blood or passing blood- he’s not he’s passing pure mucous. His brothers have all died- his sisters (adopted out) are thriving. Even if it was small bleed, there would be other signs and there just aren’t any. So she is leaning toward genetic defect. She told me that when there is a problem in the litter that is genetic, it hits the Y chromosones first mutating or whatever it does. But it rarely ever hits the females. So here are Magoo’s symptoms:

high fever-quiet mood-white gums and white anus (pads are pink on paws) I gave him fluids last night and he screamed like I stuck him in the bone- but I didn’t. I am so careful when I give fluids and other than turning some kittens into temporary sprinklers, I don’t hurt them. I wasn’t able to give him all the fluids so I gave the rest to him by mouth slowly and he took it all. His third eyelids are pronounced.

He is eating, drinking when I assist him, he is peeing and he is pooping mucous. I am waiting for the clinic to open and will let you know what develops here.