While walking a well-known trail at a local park early this morning, we passed a large boulder. As we passed it, Kota started to whine. (He doesn’t whine). I looked around to see if anything was in the vicinity, couldn’t see anything. I started going forward, but Kota stopped and pulled back on the leash. He was going back to the boulder. I know this dog and trust him, so when I went around this rock with him, I saw a burlap sack twisted tight. But, Kota went up to it and gently picked it up in his mouth and brought it to me!

With some misgivings, I untied the bag took a deep breath and looked inside to find three kittens! They were open-mouth breathing- so frail and it just broke my heart.

The only thing opened was the 24 Hr ER Vet clinic. The kittens were given warmth, fluids, food which they inhaled. One was tested (negative!) They were de-flead and I was given worming medicine to give them once they gained some weight. They are now on a pet heating pad resting comfortably they are about 5-6 weeks old.

I am calling the two black kitties, Coal and Gunny on the silver one is Silverton. Here they are and Kota is always nearby watching to be sure they are safe. God Bless this dog! It has been cold and rainy here and if he hadn’t changed his behavior on our walk. I would have never even seen them. They were encrusted with mud, so they did also get a bath and some antibiotics.

I had thought by now, the insulating of the underfloor would have been done- but no one has shown up to do the work? I have called a few times, but as this is also a government program, I just finally gave in and figured when they want to come in and do it- they will. All I get is automated answers.

In the meantime, I have successfully relocated the cats’ feeding area to be closer to the main enclosure and during the day, I can see several of them just lying under the catio catching a cat nap. I think they still must feel a bit bombarded by all the chaos that recently took place for all of them.

Pigeon has turned out to be quite the challenge. Ever since his crush injury, he has started to spray. The vets believe that some nerve damage occurred with all the other injury to his rear leg and he will be a sprayer for life. I’ve had to finally decide that he won’t play well with others (he is tearing the other cats up) MK is his latest victim with a nasty laceration to her paw requiring yet another vet visit. 🙁

So now, Pigeon is all alone in one of the enclosures which breaks my heart, but he can’t stay in the house. I already tried that for a few nights and saw that in the one room he was in, there was pee in every corner of the room. I can’t adopt him out, I won’t give someone a cat with issues, and I won’t lie to a potential adopter about any issues a cat has going on.

He seems to like the small enclosure so much better that the big cage, and he is eating and drinking. This enclosure was set up years ago for sprayers. There is splashboard (no pun intended) on all four sides. Big, Rubbermaid containers with tall sides for litter pans. He has two window perches, and after the winter leaves, I will take down the wind barriers around the catio that he has access to and open up the windows and let him catch air. He has all the comforts of home, just not the constant presence of me with him.

He is eating and drinking, so he is not shutting down. He can spray to his heart’s content and each morning, I do a thorough clean of this place and get rid of his pee-mails. It’s not the ideal solution. The ideal solution would be to keep him in the house, but I can’t wreck what just got completely rebuilt. Once a cat sprays, others will come and cover that area with their own peemail even if they are neutered. It’s a stinky cycle that is hard to break. It’s instinctive for them. Nothing to get mad or upset about. It’s how they communicate with each other and it won’t change. So he will just have to realize that this is his new pad and he will in time.

Yesterday, was our 41st wedding anniversary. This will be the second one without Mike and when I felt the blues overwhelming me, I just grabbed Kota and we went for a walk in the mountains. Nothing centers you more and brings you closer to God than a walk through the pines.

Initially, when I started this project, I suspected that I might lose one of my under-the-house kitties. I certainly did not expect to lose four in six months! First to succumb: Chessa, she could not handle the stress of people crawling under the house, shoveling out loads of dirt and changing the place she felt the most safe in. The vet told me that her immune system had tanked and the kindest thing to do was to send her to the Bridge. Bron was the next one that I lost. Someone, or something terrified him enough that I found him on the highway in the morning as I was going to town.

Then I found Mystic back behind the barn, with no clue how she died or where her leg ended up? And then yesterday, losing Link. All of this happening before they even finished insulating the underfloors. The house hasn’t been sealed up (yet) underneath, I just pray that the remaining cats will remain steady and not freak out, once their safe place vanishes.

We had just eliminated our vet debt and now it is peaking at about $800.00 Those cats were worth so much more even though they were not house kitties or pets. But they were a constant presence in the yard and under the house and now their world is going to be rocked to the core. The plan is to try and trap them before the underground work is finished and get them all inside the main enclosure. That’s the plan, but when feral cats get spooked or scared, there is no telling how they will react. All I can do is hope it all goes according to plan-

As I wrote a few days ago, the non-sightings of Link had me really worried. Last night, I sank down to my knees and with the image of Mystic still in my mind, I prayed that God would show me some sort of sign that Linc was still alive. This morning, I put out four cans of Kitty Krack (aka FF) I turned around to toss the cans into the container and when I turned back, I saw that Link was face deep in food!

I was right there oh so close. A cat carrier (a top loader) was sitting at the ready with the top opened. I remember looking at Link’s scruff and thinking: “God am I brave enough to barehand him?” I knew I had to go for it, even if I missed. Link was stumble-drunk, falling over, his back legs shaky. If I couldn’t rescue him now, there was no chance for him to survive this horrible cold snap that is upon us.

I took a deep breath, reached down, grabbed the scruff (barely). He went ballistic and I could feel him slipping. I had to almost toss him into the carrier and when I slammed the door down- I thought- “Gee Mary Anne, you DO still have it!”

I called the vet and they said bring him down to drop him off. A few hours later, the vet called and we had a lengthy conversation. Dr. Steve was wondering how in the world I managed to even grab this kitty because he truly is full feral. But, it turned out, Lincoln had ataxia. For those who might not know, ataxia is a neurological disease that either means three things- a tumor pressing on the brain, a mass pressing on the spine, or an incurable ear mite infection. It is not treatable, it is absolutely fatal and a horrible way for a kitty to pass. I gave my permission and now Lincoln is with Mike.

God, I am grateful that Your hands were upon me this morning when I did the snatch and grab. The minute he did finally settle down in the carrier, I could see the unmistakable tremors going through his body and I knew that my first inclination about him was right. Something was majorly wrong with this boy. I am glad you gave me the courage (or maybe it was because I only had 3 hours sleep last night) to follow through and get him to professionals who could help him. He didn’t have much time left and they would have caught it before on the visit on the 6th except just to get their hands on him, they had to sedate him.

RIP my fierce beast- despite your lack of socialization, you did bless my life.

Donations are desperately needed at this time.

Just wanted to say to those of you who “might” have seen the posting of “oh So Close” I found a way to secure the new truck. I sold Mike’s “Songpile” this morning. That’s what he called his longboard, exotic lumber that he collected over the years: Myrtlewood, mahogany, Zebrawood etc.. He used to say that he only bought wood that sang to him. It was a bittersweet sale, but I am now the proud owner of a 2006 Ford Expedition! Those of you who did read my posting, please forgive me for posting it. It was out-of-line.

Link is again in trouble. He keeps falling over and I am not sure why. I am supremely worried about him because of this cold snap, because this morning, when I went out to the pasture (WARNING GRAPHIC INFO APPROACHING)

I found Mystic, she was frozen solid and she was gone. But, what was really strange was that her left rear leg was missing?!!! There was no wound, no hole, no nothing- just a leg gone??? I don’t know what happened to her- was she dying and she froze and a raccoon snapped her leg off? She had all claws intact on her remaining leg- no road marks, no nothing, she was just gone. It was 22 degrees last night. She was a kitty that showed up years ago and just would come and go to eat. I talked to my vet, but he had no clue either. I am sad she came to this end, and now, not having seen Link in a week- I wonder if he too is in trouble under the house. Tomorrow, despite my bum knee and bad foot, I am crawling under the house to try and find him and get him to the vet yet again.

First of all, thank you to those who pitched in to cover Link’s care. He is still growling and swearing at me, but I am hoping in time after his neuter really kicks in, that will change. He still won’t touch dry even when I put tuna juice or water on it, but he inhales the canned food three times daily. So thank you again-

Well, the team is leaving on Tuesday! It will be so nice to get back to an almost normal life again. The cats will be more settled (I hope) I know it will take time- but it was so worth it.

Here are before and after pics of my home. Please don’t judge me to harshly on the before pics. Taking care of Mike all those years, took a toll not only on me, but on my house. As this house has changed, I have found healing among the rooms. Gone are the old painful memories of him falling, bleeding all over the place. The wheelchair scruff marks on the wall are gone- the house is beautiful now and so much more welcoming. I think I mentioned before that Mike liked all the dark stuff (dark paneling) dark curtains. I am embracing the light!

I hope you enjoy the photos, if you are ever in the area, I welcome you over for coffee!

I feel like a true miracle has taken place between these walls. The next phase will be tackling the living room and the carport and fixing the perimeter fence. But it will be awhile until that happens. I just want to stop, relax, and get my cats back to their happy place before bringing more chaos into our lives.

Please pray for my contractor Richard. He has a lump on his neck that they recently biopsied and told him it was not benign. He will have surgery on the 19th and then depending on what they find when they get in there, he will have some intense rounds of radiation. His wife is having a lot of trouble with this news, but Richard is a beautiful Christian, strong in his faith and so if you can just pray that the surgeon’s hands remain steady and his mind sharp during the procedure, I am sure the family would appreciate it.

A few weeks ago, a mackeral tabby showed up here at the feeders. He/she looked so emaciated, but was unwilling to go into any trap. The cat would come to feed and hang his head over the dry food trays but be unable to eat. The cat was drinking lots of water and inhaling down wet food.

After a few false attempts, I managed to trap him (by this time, I could see the evidence of a Tom) in one of my larger dog kennels. I rushed him to the vet, where they discovered that he was a senior boy that someone had removed all of his teeth! They estimated his age about 14 and he only weighed 7 pounds!

I am calling this new boy Link. He will be on canned food only at least 4 times a day to start. I hope to see him gain weight pretty soon. He is full feral so it is going to be tricky to keep him contained as we have only one custom cage left standing after the demo. Poor boy, someone owned him at one time. They did determine that the teeth were deliberately removed and he didn’t lose them to malnutrition. He was not chipped.

I wrote them a check to cover the expenses and would find out later that a check sent to me in the mail did not clear. We really need $40.00 ASAP before we go NSF. I called my vet and they were quite understanding, but the check has already been deposited. I am a bit stressed about it all.

Although, the vets have no clue why Pigeon suddenly shut down all his systems, he has been on IV fluids, painkillers and anti-inflammatories since entering into their care. This morning, he finally had a pooping victory and now he is home! He is no longer dehydrated, he is eating (with the help of an appetite stimulant) and he is drinking water. When I let him out of the carrier into one of the upstairs rooms, he leapt out of the carrier right up to my chest and wrapped his paws around my neck. He’s a bit thinner than I remember him to be, but he dumped a lot of love on me in a very short time.

The loving, hard head bumps and the massive purring event he showed to me, allowed me to relax, he is going to be okay.

Wouldn’t you know it? Started the year with zero vet debt for the first time in I don’t know how long, and now we owe $474.45. There is only $18.50 currently in our Kitty, so thankfully, they just put it on our account. Didn’t think the zero vet debt would last very long- but was hoping it might at least extend over to March!

Sweet boy started dry-heaving about a week ago. When I went to inspect his mouth, I saw all this white, cotton-like material in it and my heart sank. It was insulation. He kept dry heaving, but he was eating and drinking and I kept an eye on him. Friday night, he stopped eating and drinking, peeing and pooping. He is at the vet as I type. He is on supportive fluids, pain medication and they are keeping him under supervision. I managed to capture him dry heaving on video and I took a sample of the insulation in with me today.

He’s already been through so much, I hope this latest journey of his is less traumatic than his first.

The transformation of my home is nothing short of amazing at this point. Although it is still not finished, just walking through it right now makes my heart sing. Before, it was dark, and bleak and in ill-repair. Now it is bright and cheerful and full of promise. I am uploading photos now to share.

I still only have heat in the living room which is also my one studio bedroom apartment. I swear when this is all over, I am never going to eat a TV dinner again! My stove is still not working fully, we keep getting hung up by cancelled appointments from inspectors. Hoping since the holidays are now behind us, this will improve in the coming days. Frozen dinners are no fun.

Because the rest of the house is so cold still, I have caught a massive cold and Kota is beside himself because of it. He has never seen me so ill and every time I get a massive coughing fit- he runs over to help me and he can’t. I just have to push him away until I catch my breath again. It’s been a week of coughing right now and I am so over it. The doctor said I just have to let it run its course.

Since the removal of the tunnels, the under the house kitties are going into the main enclosure. Perhaps the secret of getting them to move was to allow them other escape holes to get through. These, I can’t do anything about but at least they are not open to the bitter winter wind as they are on the side protected by our house. My house now soon to be my home. I will put some photos up..

I’m not sure what I saw removed made me happier- the nasty ugly avocado green-orange-yellow wallpaper or all the scruff marks on the walls from Mike’s wheelchair. I think it was the wallpaper from the 70’s that wins!