This made me feel warm all over:

This morning, when I was at a local restaurant checking my donation box (which was surprisingly stuffed full with money!) One of the waitresses came up to me and told me the owner of the restaurant has an 8 year old granddaughter visiting her for a few weeks. The girl (Emma) was in the restaurant the other day helping out: getting waters, cleaning tables, fetching small stuff. The patrons loved her and were giving her some great tips. At the end of the day, before this little girl went home, she went over to my donation box and dropped all her tips into the box! $55.00 worth! I told the waitress to please give this little one a warm hug from me and the cats.

On the Raleigh front, something happened to him at that place that was not good and now he is aggressive to everyone and everything but me. I have him out in the shop now- where he has the whole building to himself and warm cat bed, plenty to eat and drink and he seems to like it out there. I closed off the cat doors so he wouldn’t be surprised by a visitor and decide to beat the pound out of the cat who dared to trespass. Makes me sad, because he was such a loving cat before he left. I suspect that he was pulled out of hiding and made to accept pets and cuddles from the lady because “oh she loves him so much!” He would only tolerate actual holding for a short period of time, but I think he was forced to endure it longer even though I told the woman that he didn’t like it much. I tried a pheromone collar on him but he didn’t like the collar at all so I had to remove it. It is not a breakaway. He also attacked both Cooper and Kirby at the same time when they were playing- so something is wrong. He is eating and drinking and using the litterpans so I think whatever is wrong is behavioral and not health related.

On the Mike front he is was in the hospital for 9 days and he came home diagnosed with congenital heart failure and cellulitis. On the day before his discharge some bonehead doctor decided to put him on warfarin. Warfarin is not only a bad drug, but it has been prescribed for Mike in the past with dismal results. The man should have read the chart! They watched mike for 24 hours after giving him the drug and then released him because nothing happened (Duh! He was bedridden there). I asked his friend to bring him home because I couldn’t find anyone to pick up the cat food donation. Ron brought him, deposited him in this chair and left. About 10 minutes later, Ron calls me and he sounds frantic. He says “Mary Anne, there is a lot of blood on the floor of my truck!” Dang it! I race over to where mike is sleeping- peel back his sweats on his leg and all I see is blood. It is dribbling through the bandages and there is a lot of it. I get all I need for a change and pull the dressing off and he spurts blood all over the living room. An hour later when it still won’t quit bleeding- we are back in the ER of yet another hospital (Corvallis this time). I had taken a picture of the huge wound on his leg and I jumped out of the truck into a very crowded ER and told them that I needed help as my husband had lost a lot of blood. I showed them the picture and suddenly there were countless orderlies around me and they raced to the truck and took Mike directly back into the bay. They gave him Vitamin K- applied a pressure dressing on  him but he still wouldn’t quit bleeding. 🙁 They finally put this special dressing on him that acts kind of like a tire patch does. When the bandage finally falls off on it’s own it leaves behind an artificial scab over the wound that I was told NOT to remove. Only a doctor can remove it.

We are being referred to a closer wound care clinic on an urgent basis and are just waiting for the call to come in. His leg is still bleeding but not like it was thank God. I am watching it like a hawk and if it flares up again we will go back to Corvallis (30 minutes away) and I am sure they will probably admit him this time. If I don’t hear from wound care by tomorrow, I will call them and see if I can light a fire under someone to see him.

Kirby has been such a comfort. I wonder if maybe he might me my EWS (early warning system) because the other morning, I took him with me to get a coffee at my friend’s coffee stand. Patti has COPD and has had surgery for lung cancer (although she has never smoked a day in her life) and she is prone to some pretty severe asthma attacks. I had the window down and Kirby was in the passenger seat when all of a sudden, he jumped on my lap just focused on Patti- I mean intently focused. He started to whine and paw at my leg- all the time looking at her not me- when suddenly she just went into a severe attack. Right before it started- he started barking and wouldn’t quit. Looking all the time at her. He didn’t stop until she used her inhaler and could breathe again. So maybe that’s why he’s here now. He and Cooper have their issues. Coop goes nuts when Kirby jumps in my lap and they have toy wars frequently- although before the arrival of Kirby, Cooper wouldn’t touch any of his toys (wasn’t interested). Now what one has, the other wants. And God help me if I give one a snack and don’t let them finish it before giving the other snack out- or they go for the snapping fight- geez- but I haven’t had him that long- he lays with the housecats but chases the outside cats if I would let him when the run. He’s not aggressive with them- I think he just wants to play. He does come back when I call him off them but not right away. We are finding our way with each other- all four of us.

Raleigh is sitting in my lap at the moment. This has been the craziest start to a New Year in my entire life. It started off when I was moving a cabinet out of the house, it slipped and fell and shattered our big bay window! I had to use cardboard-duct tape, boards, a blanket and a tarp to stop the inside cats from not only getting outside, but getting cut on the shards remaining. They came to fix the window after two days (bad weather stopped them) and one window dude made a comment to his co-worker that he wished he had known so much duct tape was going to be purchased he would have bought stock! LOL

Then that stray dog German Shepherd surprised me late at night- coming into the yard and trying to kill not only Cooper- but also all the yard cats! She loved people (thank God) and I managed to rope her and get her to the police department. Animal Control came and got her.

The very next day, I was on an adoption run and out in the  middle of nowhere, I see this beautiful German Shepherd limping along the road. I stopped, and called “Puppy. puppy puppy!” She ran right to me, ate the handful of cat kibble I offered her and jumped into my truck! Oh my she stank to high heaven. I took a run down the road looking for a farm a house- nothing- so I took her to the vet. She had a chip- she has been returned to her neglectful owner which made me sad. Her ears were so infected, she has severe dermatitis all over her body- she is about 5 years old but her claws, on my word- they were so long they were curling under! I told the vet that I wanted her with all my heart and to tell the owner that- but he took her back. I do hope the return came with a stern lecture about how to care for a dog!

Mikes in the hospital so I was telling him about her and how she loved Cooper and the cats and he just said- maybe we aren’t supposed to get a German Shepherd. The very next day, after picking up my food for the cats, I was driving around the back of the building and I see this man just kicking this poor dog! The dog was cowering and trying to duck the blows. I stop in the middle of the road (not wise) jump out of the truck and run over and had some “words” with this homeless low-life. After he dropped a few F bombs, he looked at me and sneered and said “If you want this dog- you can  have him for ten dollars!” I quickly handed him the money. I had just ten dollars in the pocket of my jeans. My purse was in the truck. I picked up this “little dog” he dug into my arms and as I drove him to the vet, he was sitting in my lap the entire time!

He is at the vet now- I am calling him Kirby. He is being neutered, he is 2 years old and unless he turns out to be a cat aggressive dog- looks like Cooper might have a friend.  You look at him- he looks like a cocker spaniel and a dachshund had an affair. LOL He’s the cutest dog I have ever seen in my life. I wasn’t looking for a dog, especially a lap dog because I have so many lap kitties- but I guess he was looking for me. He’s pitch black and he stands on his hind legs and dances in a circle when you are holding a treat over his head. I was trying to see if he had any basic commands. I suspect he’s been stolen by the guy but he isn’t chipped and I looked online for anyone missing a dog of his description- but mostly people are missing cats. (I still can’t believe I found Raleigh last night!) I will post a picture when I can- but he is being neutered today- we vaccinated him and de-wormed and de-flead him. He smells so bad but he had so many fleas we decided a bath could wait. Me and a lap dog- who would have thought!

He ran away yesterday afternoon and the only reason I found out about it is I called to check on his status and see how he was doing. The girl was sobbing when she told me some of her friends let him out of the house! Even though it was late, I flew over there in my truck with food and his favorite toy (it chirps). I got out of the truck and rattled the bag, and called him in my kitty call and he came running right to me and leaped on my shoulders! I told the girl that he was just going to have to be my cat after all. I gave her back her adoption fee, and Raleigh and I just now walked through the door. That’s a scare I don’t need again! All the way there, I was praying that God would lead him to me. I know it sounds nuts- but I kept talking to Raleigh in my head, telling him to hang on, I was coming for him. it is supposed to get down to 12 degrees tonight! I found him within 5 minutes when the gal and her friends had been looking since he vanished.

The second girl (Morgan) was spayed today and treated for parasites, URI and anemia. She is home now and back in the enclosure with her sister. Now we have to start over- all trust has been broken, so it is back to square one with both of them. Riggs and Raleigh are now in new homes with Benson and Hanna waiting for this last storm to clear before they go to their new home.

That is what I decided to name one of the girls I got from meow village. I was successful in capturing her inside a carrier this morning and took her to be spayed. They treated her for a URI really bad earmites, fleas and worms. Her sister has now been tricked into the large cage but she is smart and she saw her sister go into the carrier and get carried away- not to return. I have Pearl on the patio right now to socialize her better. George will come over in the morning and if she hasn’t gotten into the carrier, we will convince her this is the way to go. *G*

Yesterday, I had to rush Mike to the hospital, but under the weather constraints, I took him to Sacred Heart in Springfield (27 miles from our home). I had heard some good things about this hospital and thought maybe getting some “fresh eyes” on his leg, might help us out. We waited 10 hours to be seen by a doctor. They apologized and said normally they have 5 bays of rooms open in ER but because of the weather- 3 of those bays were filled with people waiting for beds in the main hospital! All other hospitals in the area were going through much the same thing- so they couldn’t even transport anyone.

They have kept Mike for a few days. They are worried about his kidneys, his heart and his leg. I need to run some supplies to him today but snow is predicted along with another ice storm so I am not sure I am going to be able to leave the house.

This morning when I went to feed the two feral girls, one of them was inside the other cage in the enclosure!  I quickly shut her in and to her credit she did not bolt. I have since gone in and rearranged it to the point where the only place she can hide now in there is inside a carrier. If I get lucky and God smiles on me, she should go inside the carrier and I can take her in to be spayed! I’m about ready to go and check on her status in a moment as the clinic is about to open. I will ask the vet to tag her ear so that I can tell her apart from her sister once I let her go back inside the enclosure. Would have been nice if both of them were inside, but I will take what I can get.

I am back, the computer was finally fixed tonight after much hair-pulling on Mike’s part (he’s bald anyway!) LOL  Turns out it needed a new fan, a good clean-out and a new video card.

Playing catch up- the two ferals I got in November from Meow Village are doing well. This morning when I went in to feed, one of the girls was actually out of her hidey hole. It has been such strange cold weather here, at first I was worried something might have happened to her. I sat down near her expecting her to do the customary bolt and hide, but she didn’t. She was trembling (not from the cold) it stays a nice 65 degrees in there now since it was insulated. She allowed me to pet her head twice and then she bolted. I watched her go and she was moving fine so she has not been hurt. It was a beautiful moment and the start of the trust building between her and I.

Speaking of injured- this morning at around 4:00 a.m. our doorbell rang! I stumbled awake and came to the door to find a girl in tears. She told me that she had hit a cat and didn’t know whose cat it was. Turns out, it was one of mine- Raleigh my sweet orange and white boy. I found him in the bushes and gathered him up in a blanket and brought him inside.

Not a mark on him, though he was soaking wet and dirty because apparently he rolled after she hit him. The girls was so upset, left her name and number and told me she would pay all vet costs! I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she stopped. No one has ever stopped before! There was heavy ice on the road and this saved him because she was going very slowly. I gave him a bath and waited for the vet’s office to open and took him right in. He has a bruised lung, a sore back and he will have a headache for about 2 weeks but nothing showed on x-ray that was alarming! He got off so lucky! They gave him a cortisone shot, he is on Gabapentin and he is not all lovey like he used to be- he is grumpy growly with us and the other cats, but I would be too if I got hit by a car! Right now he is lying on my lap and unless I pet him- we are good to be together. I just can’t touch him right now. The girl wants to adopt him, but I told her to wait out the 2 weeks first and think about it before making the decision. If it is meant to be- it will happen.

The Siamese mix, Benson has a potential new home. A woman on the coast wants to foster him. (I have ads up for foster families for special needs kitties). She and her son sound delightful and just the right family for what shy Benson needs but this nasty arctic front does not make me want to drive over the mountain right now. Not worth it right now.

On the hawk front- he is doing good. He has had 2 surgeries now to repair his broken wing and he has a long road ahead of him of rehab and PT before they will release him. They want me to be there on the release- that would be so cool!

here he is at the center getting much-needed help!

We have another new kitten since the arrival of Riggs. Quinn is a black and white long hair now neutered boy. He is about 5 months old and very shy. I had him in a cage in the living room, but we had to bring some medical equipment into the house and I very cleverly broke the living room window during that transfer. Thankfully, I had a heavy blanket draped over his cage, so when the window shattered- no glass got on the kitty- just got all over the blanket. Without having an alternate place to put him- I put him in with all the other house kitties after first boarding up the window to try and keep the frigid air outside and the house kitties inside! The window had to be completely be replaced- an expense we weren’t prepared for. I’m just glad no one got hurt animal or human.

Right now there is probably 8 inches of snow on the ground and it is 28 degrees with freezing rain predicted for tomorrow and Monday. I told Mike if we have the same horrid weather on Monday, I wasn’t going to make the weekly trip to OHSU with him. I am sad to report that now he has 17 ulcers on  his good leg- which isn’t that good anymore. We are waiting to hear if they have qualified him for the hyperbaric program yet.

A lady came to see us the other night about buying our old generator. It was so weird because sweet Molly of course she jumped up to say hello when the lady was sitting down in our living room- and then Molly just went nuts! She attacked this woman- not once, not twice but three times! I couldn’t believe it and the woman, she just took it in stride. She actually laughed about it. She was wearing a heavy coat and the only thing I could see that was off-putting is that she reeked of cigarettes. Molly has always just been the friendliest of all the cats- but not with this lady.

Ok, I think that catches me up for now. Everybody stay safe and warm!

I am unplugging for a few days. Having issues with my computer and Mike is going to try and “fix” it. No offense but every time he tries, he crashes the darn thing. He might have been able to back in the day be the great calibration technician he once was- but these new computers are a far cry from the behemouths he worked on back in the 60’s. Oh well, his youngest son is a whiz at I.T. so worse comes to worse, Dennis will come to the rescue. I am sure part of the problem is cat hair in my computer- Did I say that? How in the world could cat hair be inside my computer! LOL

See ya later guys and Happy Mew Years!

We were traveling the old hwy 99e because last week our 3 hour trip took 12 hours on the I-5! So I went the old highway when I took Mike to wound care. On the way home, the truck in front of us hit a red-tailed hawk! The truck didn’t stop, but I sure did. Mike was yelling at me but I did an illegal U-turn and whipped around and parked near the field the hawk had stumbled into. I grabbed my heavy coat. I was not going to let that majestic bird die in the middle of a field.

It took several tries to make it up the slippery hill, but finally I saw the hawk and it saw me and tried to fly away. I could see the wing was broken and there was a hole in it’s head. 🙁 It kept trying to get away until finally, I just used my feral cat skills. I sat down on the wet ground and started talking to it. I could see its beady eyes staring me down, so I closed mine (just like I do with the ferals) I carefully stood up, took a deep breath and with my eyes still closed, tossed my carhardt jacket over the bird.

Ok, now I am thinking- Great Mary Anne now you have an injured raptor underneath your coat. What are you going to do next? So I said a prayer and knelt down, gathered the coat around the bird and carried it back to the truck. Mike held it the rest of the trip and instead of going straight home, we went to Corvallis to Chintimeree Wildlife Refuge where I dropped off this beautiful bird and I can call in the morning after 8:00 to find out if it survived. They said when they took it out of my coat that it was in shock, but it was alive. It’s tongue was glued to its beak from the shock and dehydration. I just pray it lived. I saw it fly across the road with a fish in its talons and then the truck sped up- I didn’t see the hawk for several minutes, there was another car behind the truck that hit it- then I saw it appear on the road and it was rolling- so it either got stuck under the truck or it held on to something when it hit? Hard to tell. But in 30 degree weather, I was not about to let it die in a field. If it does die, it will at least be warm and comforted and fed.

Mike is going to gone for a month soon. He is being enrolled in the hyperbaric program at OHSU. It is an outpatient program and as we don’t have friends in the area that he could stay with, we are going to have find appropriate lodging nearby for 30 days where they can shuttle him to the hospital for his 4 hour treatment daily. I can’t go with him, I can’t leave the cats (and honestly kids I need a break from taking care of him). So we will figure all this out when the time comes- he still has two more treatments at the clinic before he “qualifies”  There is no way I can drive him up and back every day for a month- so like I said, we will figure it out soon. He has gone from 5 ulcers on his leg to 10- dangit all but we are trying so very hard to save his leg. If it weren’t for the veinous statis he might have a fighting chance but now every time his leg swells, whatever is covering his leg cuts into it- much like an embedded collar would a dog. His leg for lack of a better word is gushy and pretty nasty. I am to change his dressings now three times a week as they are using a special netting to stop the bacteria from spreading. Like I said, I really need a break from all of this-

Mr. Riggs is at the vet’s this morning getting neutered. I am praying that after this surgery his aggressive growling and snarling at other cats will vanish and he will not want to talk as much as before. He meowed the entire night last night. I finally popped a pair of ear plugs in so I could sleep. Mike is lucky in that respect. He just takes out his hearing aids before he goes to sleep and then he’s deaf as a post. I don’t like to sleep with ear plugs in- because I need to hear if Mike stops breathing (sleep apnea) or if a cat or two starts quarreling. But, I do need to sleep.

Pebbles is going downhill quickly after her vet visit. She has stopped eating- she is drinking a lot of water but there is no urine in the pans. I think the vets might have been right saying that she is probably fighting cancer. They put her age at about 14 and this poor girl has had such a rough life.She has pretty much just stayed in one spot inside her heated cat house since we brought her home the other day after her visit. Not sure what is going to happen from here on in with her.