It is so hard to accept that there are kittens this time of year. But every year as the winters get less severe, breeding season becomes extended. The arrival of the latest kittens took me completely by surprise and they are cute although they are in really bad shape. Anemic, wormy, the black and white kitty Mudslide was near death when he arrived, but after a few small doses of coffee flavored by Karo syrup, he has more life in him. Autumn is a beautiful tortise shell girl and Hailey is a gold and white beauty.

Of course Mike wants to keep all of them- and we have the mom in the bedroom although she has now been spayed and is hissy with her family. We will keep her, but hope the kittens will find loving homes once their health has been restored.

Last night is one, that I hope never to repeat again. Laz was in the living room playing with Perch under the coffee table. I came in before having to leave to work trying to straighten up and finish the laundry. I noticed the kittens pummeling each other under the table, turned around to leave with the laudry basket in my hand. I was barefoot and suddenly underneath my foot, I felt something soft. I stepped down because it didn’t register that it was the belly of a kitten. 🙁 I heard something pop and he screamed and gurgled and I screamed and stepped back. I picked him up and he was open mouth breathing. I flipped him over, and he vomited all over my feet. it was then that I noticed he had pooped and peed all over himself and my heart sank. All I could think of was that I had ruptured something and killed this poor boy.

I had to go to work, so Mike rushed Laz in to see Dr. Doer who could find nothing visibly wrong with him. he was alert and perky during the exam and even tried to nail her a few times with his kitty claws. We have had him confined now overnight and this morning I let him out for a few minutes and he bolted across the floor and jumped on Perch! Thank God- I could barely concentrate last night at work and I tried to not cry about what happened at least not in front of the customers. I just felt sick to my stomach because it was Laz and he has already been through it and back.

This morning he seems just fine and is running around the front room jumping on Oliver and Matuse. Thank you God for delivering him from my clumsiness. That vet visit is going to be costly because it was after hours- but I was so sure I had killed him because in all the years that I have been working with kittens, I have NEVER once stepped on one!

It was a bad night last night and I kept waking up to check on Laz. I found several piles of fresh sick on his blanket a few times but this morning, it looks like God has once again delivered this spitfire from possible death.

Tonight, another orange baby arrived at my door. He is bone skinny and wormy and he was full of fleas that were larger than Manhatten! I gave him a good bath and cleaned his rear- his owner was feeding him dry and wet food! His digestive system hasn’t caught up and it played havoc with his rear.

I think he has Persian in him somewhere and he strongly resembles our beloved and departed Prowler.

Onions owner contacted me the other night and she wants to care for the kittens and Onions which I refuse to do. I told her I was not stealing her cat but I wouldn’t be returning Onions until she is spayed and same goes for the kittens. I know she will just shut them into the cold concrete garage and call it good and where they are they are warm, fed and cared for and this is where they will stay for awhile.

At any rate, meet the new kit on the block!

This morning, Prayer Boy the runt of the litter- the little white boy slipped away. The kittens all have pneumonia and URI and the swelling on their heads were a result of their eyes being crusted over so severely. Once warm compresses were gently pressed to the swelling-within seconds, the pressure released and pus started pouring out. Prayer Boy had two swellings and although he rallied after supportive fluids, antibiotics and gentle compresses, he was to far debilated to rally long.

I have moved the kittens and the queen from the closet into the main cat room. The nesting box there is larger and the queen has been ignoring the litter for the better part of last night, mainly because Prayer Boy was slipping away and she knew it. Once I took him out of the box and put him inside a carrier and in the bedroom, she returned to her remaining kittens. I did a thorough check of her today and she is grossly underweight and wormy as hell. She only has two viable nipples, I thought she had four- but there are three kittens who have survived so I will be supplement feeding them every four hours to take the load off her. I started her on worming medicine this morning- Panacur that I got from the vet.

She is a tough mother and has already beaten the pound out of two of my cats that simply came upstairs to see what was going on. We have put the door up at the bottom of the stairs to prevent more altercations- so now there are only seven cats upstairs- Onions and her family in one room and the two feral black kittens across the way.

I wish I had the money right now to get Onions spayed but I don’t. I will be talking to the owner later and I hope my temper doesn’t get away from me. These kittens, as cute as they are are suffering so early in their world and they should have NEVER been born!

The one pregnant queen I was trying to keep until her kittens were born, but I had to return her as the owners insisted they wanted their kids to witness “the miracle of birth” is now back upstairs. She had 11 kittens of which 7 have died! 🙁 The owner called this morning in tears, the 5th kitten had died and several of the others had “swollen heads.” She insisted I tell her why the kittens had died and what was wrong with the other ones, but I just told her that I wasn’t a vet and I couldn’t see the kittens. Even if I could, it is quite possible the cause of death would still be a mystery.

She was freaking out a bit and wanted me to come and get and the kittens, but I told her she needed to bring them to me and I would do what I could. So she did.

The two white babies are the worst. One little boy is so lethargic, I have been keeping vigil all night. I put a warm compress to his swollen eye and within seconds, the pus pocket broke and the dam opened. It was pretty nasty even for a seasoned rescuer. The eyes seem to crust over and swell about 20 minutes after their treatment so it has been a long night.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the queen only has 6 viable nipples and she lacks the body weight to keep all 11 warm. I just hope the rest make it.

Since I have been able to find time to blog. The playpen kitties all went to the same loving home, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! The woman lives alone and recently lost her 16 year old to cancer. She only wanted one kitten initially, but when she and her friends came here to see the cats and kittens, she fell in love with all three of them. She took them home and I have had regular updates about their progress. I was calling them Emerson, Lake and Palmer, but she has renamed them. I guess she isn’t a rock fan! But thankfully, she is a kitten fan and the kittens are thriving under her love and attention.

I have a new addition which is partly why I haven’t had time to write. He is aptly named Lazarus because he has come back from the dead several times. He is a small orange boy, who is loaded with ringworm and he has what my vet calls sympathtic overload. Basically, if he overeats- he collapses. When I first found him, he was by all appearances dead- but warming towels a vigourous rubdown and some espresso brought him back. Then after a few days of being here in our home, his appetite became voracious. He polished off two full bottles then stumbled over to the corner, his rear legs collapsed and he fell into a heap! I rushed over picked him up, warmed him next to my heart, gave him some Karo syrup, rubbed him all over (so much for the ringworm threat) and then called a fellow rescuer who suggested that I give him some benedryl which I did. About ten minutes later, he was bright and alert- and I was mighty confused. The next day, we visited the vet who did some testing and determined he had sympathetic overload which is a neurological problem.

Laz graduated off the bottle just the other day and is now eating a homemade gruel that also has benebac in it and he is doing just fine. He still lights up like a Christmas tree when the black light is shone on him, the ringworm is on his face, paws, tail, neck, back and testicles- poor kitty. Mike said we don’t need a Christmas tree this year as long as Laz glows in the dark!

We alos had a new puppy arrive and my ever-loving only German Shepherd dogs husband, flipped for this tiny pocket pet! Minute is part silky terrier, border terrier and chihuahua (sorry I can’t spell right now) and she loved Mike from the get-go. She was smaller than Laz but she would snuggle in on MIke’s chest and bury her head in his beard and she was great comfort to him. But we are a farm family and her running under Racer’s feet and showing no fear for the tractor when it was running showed both of us that even though we loved her- she was more than likely going to get killed if she stayed here. She now has a wonderful home with a lovely young lady who carries her everywhere in her purse. I never thought I would have a dog that you had to put sweaters on- but she was a puppy mill rescue and she just didn’t have adequate body weight. She would follow me out the backyard and when she got into the tall grass, she would just shake from the cold.

I’ve also been trapping a colony of ferals. There were *supposed* to have been forty in this colony, but I believe the numbers were exaggerated. Managed to trap 12 with five already ear-tipped- but if there are thirty cats in this area, there was little evidence of those numbers.

Mike is doing better- they finally decided his wound can close and although he still can’t walk across the room without experiencing shortness of breath, he is finally able to get his shoe on for the first time in four months!

They cut my hours back at work with apologies, but the store is losing business due to the economic state that is presently gripping the nation. I generally now only work the weekends and nothing else. Everyone is scared and most are struggling to make ends meet. I find for the first time feeling regretful that so many cats occupy our home- but their needs come first.

I have found a home for Mercedes and Madison. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, they will leave next week. Now I am exhausted and tomorrow (today) is going to be a long one. We have to drive over 35 miles to take the trapped kitties in to be fixed. Time to say Goodnight now————

I must have been nuts thinking I could actually stop rescuing. The other day at the grocery store in the cat food aisle, I ran across a confused girl looking for kitten formula. After talking to her for a few moments, I was horrified to find out that someone she knows had a litter of kittens and the queen had died. The owner, caring nothing about the welfare of the kittens had put the kittens in the backyard in a playpen with no food, no water, no shelter. Too much trouble I guess?

I told the girl that if she could rescue the kittens, I would take them. There were five and I was told that they were bottle babies. 🙁 It has dipped down into the forties lately at night, there is no way a litter is going to survive long.

So the three remaining kittens are now here with me and they are wonderful. Other than a puzzling scar on one of the kitten’s necks- where i swear it looks like someone tried to slit it’s tiny throat! They appear healthy and happy and have been romping in the front room with the big kids.

The gal who rescued them wants the mackeral tabby- and I am favoring the siamese mix that so strongly resembles my dearly loved Kahuna. May he RIP. I lost Kahuna to feline hyperesthesia several years ago. The other black kitty will also probably stay with us because in this area, people fear and even loathe black cats! Can you imagine-

So I guess as long as there are heartless and clueless cat owners, I will be rescuing until I take my last breath and go and join my son in heaven.

Here are the newest arrivals- They need names too….

Also, check out this lady’s wonderful cat sanctuary! Oh for my cats to have the pleasure of roaming our property too- but the fencing would be a major expense-

Cats on Kings Mountain

And here are the playpen kitties—-

Today- Moe (the new arrival) relaxed enough to allow me to touch him. He is still hiding under the futon upstairs, but he stopped growling and hissing at me. I took a chance and laid down on the floor, shut my eyes, talked softly to him and reached in to pet him. I connected with his face and started scratching his ears. He loved it and rolled over on his belly and begged for more. We had about a ten minute pet-fest and then I backed off. If he is pet aggressive, I really don’t want to get nailed by him. My hope is to open his door soon and let him find the others. I think once he has the benefit of moving freely in the house he might relax a bit more.

I wake up daily now with slamming headaches. I know it is a combination of the stress and the non-working heater. The house is so cold and we are waiting on the company who is looking for a heater for us. I can’t wait too long though. Mike’s temperature still remains sub-normal (no one can tell us why) and I need to find heat soon. He sleeps so much now- most of the day and the better part of the night. He is having horrible nightmares still and he just looks bad. I am worried about him, but he has good doctors and my hope is once he gets off all this medication he is on, he will be back to his old self soon.

I don’t work today, but there is plenty to do around here. I just want to sleep but that is a luxury I can ill-afford. So I gently shake off all the cats in the morning and get up to meet the day and the challenges that lie ahead.

My parents will celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary this month. I won’t be able to go and see them because I can’t leave Mike and he can’t travel that far right now. They are 12 hours from us. My mom just went through a heart catherization but the doctors found nothing to explain her sudden fainting spells. Growing old, it’s NOT for sissys!

Nancy is staying with them for a week while Mother recuperates. I really want to see my parents this year, but I don’t think under the circumstances I will be able to. Even though my dad’s health is declining and I have a feeling that this will be the last Christmas he will have, I still can’t leave to visit. We stay in touch via email and phone.

A few days ago, a guy Mike used to work with gave us a call. They were being evicted and had no place to live. There were some broad hints about them parking their small trailer on our land, but thankfully, Mike had all his faculties at the time and didn’t even offer. We both know that if we did allow them to live with us, we would never be able to get them off our property, much less would they pay any rent. Then there was the cat, they were looking for a “boarding” facility to put him in. He is a 4 year old, neutered orange boy about 15 pounds. I told them I would take him in temporarily. He is upstairs now, most unhappy about his recently upheavaled world. He just started eating this morning and is still hiding underneath the futon.

I called around yesterday looking for the couple who owns the cat hoping they could help me get him jump-started to eating. I came to find out they have left the state and aren’t likely to return!

So now I have one more cat, quite likely for life. I suppose this was their primary objective when they appeared back in our life out of the blue. What better place to leave a displaced cat then with a crazy cat woman?

He isn’t a friendly boy. Their last two cats both died due to obstruction problems as they owned a tailor shop and let the cats play with thread! With Shad not eating, it was my fear he too had been allowed to eat thread (a dangerous, dangerous practice.) I am relieved that he is eating, but he is in full defensive mode- hissing, swatting and glaring at me whenever I interact with him. So, although he was “owned” something happened to him to make him so angry and it is like I have a feral cat once again under my care. Not what I need right now, not with everything else going on.

Our heater is still not working. The company will be out again today to figure out if this used heater is actually functional. It runs two hours then shuts down. Last night it dipped into the 40’s and it was really sad this morning to wake up and see the majority of the cats huddled around the portable heater in the living room trying to stay warm. I wish we had the $1,000.00 for a new heater, but right now the used one is our best hope.

Charlie was very helpful yesterday with the repairman. He kept running off with the man’s small screwdrivers, screws and various pieces of wire. Thankfully, the man likes cats and didn’t get upset as I went to fetch the latest trophy from Charlie’s clutches.

I have to get in this morning and clean the cat enclosure. It has suffered horribly since Mike has been so ill. The cats have just ripped down some of the platforms when they play and it has to be weather-proofed for the coming cold weather. Hopefully today, I can find time to do some repair. My friend Chris just did a video of her cat enclosure. It is on youtube. I wish mine were so elegant- but my cats love it and call it home anyway- I love the rock facing this cat enclosure has and I can just see my cats scrambling up the rocks playing- as they do that in the living room on our fake rock wall near the (currently) non working heater.

Chris’ lucky cats