Thanks to those of you who are buying Fresh Step Litter and donating the points to CATS Inc., The last point turn in got us these really nice kitty blankets you warm up in the microwave and the heat lasts for 9 hours so  that was super-cool (or warm) for the kitties when the temperature dipped.

Also just thank you for the comments and suggestions you offered this year, both on the blog and privately. Many thanks for all the monies donated for the care of these kitties and just being interested in the goings-on occurring here. There were a lot of passings this year, more than ever before but we also adopted out a slew of kitties and helped some that were really close to the brink to come back and have a chance at a better life.

So thank you all of you- for following this blog- for caring, for praying, for doing all of it in the name of the kitties who were hiding in the shadows.

Mary Anne

Didn’t care much for the name of Rumor so we have named him Raleigh. This kitty is sweet with a capital T! Putting him up for adoption this weekend- wish us luck!

I also just got a phone call from a gal from California who is here in Oregon interviewing small rescue groups for a documentary to be shown before Christmas at a film festival. She will be here Monday to film and interview me in the hopes of driving up volunteerism and donations. Donations would be grand, because that is what I owe the vet right now. One Grand! 🙂

Here is Mr Raleigh who I call my spot of sun in my day-

I am so relieved to say that this boy is looking so much better today! He came out of hiding, he ate a bit and drank some water and head-bumped me. The vet had asked me to stay up most of the night and give him fluids and force feed him, but instead, I just left him alone. After seeing him go ballistic when they tried to take blood from  him, I figured just letting him decompress and let God decide things would be best. Seemed like a good call and I think he will be okay if nothing happens in the meantime to stress him out. he really is a sweet boy and my hope is after some socialization and TLC he will make someone a really nice companion.

Speaking of socialization, I am now able to pet Pirate briefly without her trying to bite my hand off! Slow and steady wins the race.

Here he is one day after his neuter. He did not respond well this morning when I went in to feed enough to worry me, so off the vet we went. They did bloodwork- his glucose is extremely high- all levels are okay. He is drinking an incredible amount of water for a year old kitty so there is a concern for FIP or Diabetes. But it also could  be stress- he doesn’t like being messed with (who does?)I am going to watch him carefully for a few days and if anything out of the ordinary is going on- I will let the vet know. My fear because of how covered he was in grease and oil was that we might be looking at anti-freeze poisoning- but that has been ruled out. He is a really sweet boy who suddenly has lost all interest in eating.

Just not acting right- I am a bit worried.

Late last night, we get a phone call and I hear a woman say- “Are you the cat lady?” I laughed and said,

“Sometimes, what’s up?”

“Rumor has it that there is a cat caught in the fitness gym in Sweet Home for about 4 days. The rumor is true- I have the cat!”

I went down immediately and fetched this orange and white boy who looks like he has seen better days. He has either been caught in the engine of a car, or he has been living in a mechanics garage, because he was covered in grease. I got him home, covered him with shortening and took a warm towel and started to remove the majority of oil and grease. What I uncovered was a lovely orange and white tomcat. He is super friendly- or he was until the vet started poking and prodding him then he turned into a true tom. He is being neutered as I type, he had no mircrochip so if I do find the owner over time- he will get back a neutered boy who might stay put instead of roaming. I am calling him Rumor. I don’t know his age, but suspect he is 2-3 years old. The vet will fill in the blanks when I go to pick him up later on.

I just got the call from the vet. Autumn could not be saved. Her sphincter muscle had been completely lacerated and separated from her colon. She would be unadoptable because she wouldn’t be able to control her bowels. I have a candle in the window lighting her way. Such a sweet girl who went through some incredible pain before she was rescued.

I just received from the police department, the cutest little mack tabby kitten. It was found in Sankey Park and someone reported a kitty in distress. Looks to me like not only are we dealing with a prolapsed rectum but it has been hanging out in the wind long enough to rupture. Kitten is super skinny and had a flea collar on that was pretty tight- collar has been cut off and I see where the neck has been chewed by the chemicals. I hate flea collars with a passion! The damage is so extensive that even though this baby is about 6 months old- I can’t tell if it is male or female. Already inhaled three small cans of kitten food (wet) and doesn’t appear to want to eat dry.

I just learned this afternoon- that Sterling- a Russian Blue mix kitty who was rescued late last year- has now passed away. He died of unknown causes. He was the kitty I asked recently for all of you to pray for after he had been diagnosed with FIP. he died on  his owner’s lap. His body just couldn’t handle life anymore. Robin will let me know after the necropsy if there are any answers as to why this sweet boy (January’s calendar boy on our Rescue calendar) passed away. But usually, necropsies leave you with more questions than answers.

Goodbye Sweet Boy, you left Robin at about the same time that Hardy left us. I am sure the two of you have met by now and are romping pain-free in Heaven’s grasses. Sometimes, Life is just to  hard to figure out.

At the midnight feeding, she had passed. Hardy is hanging on. he is fighting the feedings but he is also the biggest one of the litter and the only one left. I am  hoping he has the strength to keep on fighting.

Hardy is back from the vet and the vet said I should consider changing his name to Bruiser. The poor little guy is one solid  bruise from top to bottom! But he was active and playing and sucking any fingers that came into view- so when we got home, we had a food fest. He should be okay in a few days and the bruises will fade in time. He weighs 3.5 ounces.

Also this weekend, I trapped a nuisance cat and took it into the vet to be tested. Sadly, Jeffers tested positive for FeLV and we put her to sleep. They said she was about 14 years old, so she was a carrier- not actively sick. 🙁

I have to be selective with what I am taking right now, as the enclosures (except one) aren’t quite finished. Our phone has just been ringing off the hook today. “No, ma’am, I am sorry, I cannot take your 12 feral cats that are fighting among themselves. No Sir, I cannot take your 9 outside stray cats that you have been feeding for five years and have just decided you can’t do it anymore.”

I broke many hearts today that is for sure. but there was one call I couldn’t ignore. A queen just gave birth on Weds. 6 kitten- 3 stillborn. She was being a good mom until this morning when she leaped back into the nest and grabbed one kitten and disposed of it quickly. The family, they were stunned. They had this stray kitty set up on their dining room table in the middle of their busy kitchen, with no cover over the carrier that was apart. They have 2 small boys and a daughter not very old and they wonder why the mom went into stressville? Come to find out when I went over there to pick up the remaining two kittens- although I told them to keep her away from the family- she jumped into the nest again, picked up a kitten and tossed it in the air. It landed on the table. 🙁 She pounced on it- but the dad intervened and took it away.

These are two very fragile kittens. I am calling them Laurel and Hardy. They are pitch black and I pray they make it till the morning vet appointment. I have given fluids- tried to feed- one can latch on to the bottle- he is a little chunk so he isn’t as worrisome as Laurel who can’t eat because she has no energy. I have done all my tricks: karo syrup, coffee, warming beds. I wish I had those new heat lamps they have come out with specifically for baby kittens. But I don’t. I will do the best I can and hope for the best.

There is also another stray in the new enclosure but he is still in the trap they caught him with. He is an old black boy- and I do mean old. I have a 10:20 appointment tomorrow and the story is he got hit by a car about 3 weeks ago. He drags his back leg and  has road rash on his belly. I am calling him Jefferson-

Please pray for these cats tonight before you go to sleep-

Thank you all