Yesterday, got a call from a farmer’s wife. They had been losing a lot of chickens lately and they figured a fox or coyote was to blame so they set a trap. They live out in a remote part of town- no homes around for miles. They ended up trapping a cat and didn’t know what to do. For three days she said she called everyone and no one would take this “feral” cat. I drove right there- three days in a trap is no fun for any animal!

It is indeed a cat, she is about 7 years old and sadly not spayed. I took her in to get her tested (negative) Usually, I just drop them off and pick them up later, but this time they led me into a room to see  a vet. Ok- I had just picked up this little lady who looks to be a cross between a Bengal and a calico- they asked me if she was feral, I told them I had no idea. So, we tested her and let her out. BAD mistake! LOL

She went straight up the wall- flying all over the room, knocking down instruments, turned on the water faucet which further scared her. I ended up taking off my coat and wrapping it around her- she bit me but she hit my thick coat and not my skin. Poor scared kitty.

I left her there to be spayed today and she will be the first occupant of the new enclosure. She is quite pretty but she does have some eye issues (they think) they had to knock her out to even test her. She apparently has had kittens recently, so I called the farmer’s wife back and we spent the majority of yesterday searching for them with no luck. At least her nipples weren’t waxing which means the kittens have been weaned. The farmer said he will put food out for the kittens daily and call me if they show up.

He is feeling much better!  I am so grateful we didn’t lose him-

The building is coming together. Enjoy the mess! LOL

And of course Coop is a Smiling Supervisor!

This little boy was adopted by the sweetest woman early this year. He is a Russian Blue mix and his temperament is phenomenal. He was doing really good- Robin would send letters every month about how he was doing- when suddenly and quite unexpectedly, he took a nose dive. She took him to several vets and was told by some that he had FIP.

She emailed me his symptoms- none which resemble FIP in any fashion, and I told her that currently there is no known test for FIP that is accurate as well as no cure. I suggested she seek a feline specialist or take him to OSU. That is where he is right now with a “mystery” diagnosis. He is to have an MRI tomorrow (which has to terrifying to even the mellowest of cats!) Please just pray for him and that they find out why his rear legs are no longer working correctly and why he falls over from time to time for no reason.

He has been to several vets and is now being seen by her regular vet, a feline specialist and being tested out at OSU- Oregon State University small animal vet clinic.

Thanks guys- he was one of my favorite rescues because he was so sweet-

This is a bittersweet post laced with a bit of excitement because of how many cats will benefit. So here it goes, me catching up a bit on all that has been happening lately.

For over 8 years, we have been receiving $4.00 a month from a blog follower. She has never asked for a tax receipt, just said she loves to help those who rescue. From time to time, there would be surprises sitting on my porch from her- not boxes of kittens either 🙂 Just supplies that only someone who rescues knows are needed: rubber gloves, litterpan scoops, trash bags, PAM cooking spray. We would email almost monthly, and I felt like we were friends although we never met.

I haven’t heard from her in quite awhile and was getting worried. I recently learned, she passed away and there was no one that I knew I could call and offer my condolences too because she was pretty much alone in the end of her days.

Her lawyer sent me a letter and she left behind a donation for CATS Inc., that will enable us to finish the renovations on all the enclosures (making the wire ones solid) insulating every single one of them and allowing us the capability of helping over a dozen more cats down the road. He said she wished to stay anonymous and that no, there were no living relatives. Her family consisted of 4 of her own kitties and she had allowed in her will enough monies for them to be taken care of till the end of their days.

I was in tears for quite awhile (both happy and sad) after hearing this news and yesterday we went to buy supplies for the renovations, once again someone went out of their way to accommodate us getting what we needed at a very handsome discounted rate.

George will be working all week for us to get all of this done and I will be posting photos of the progress made as we go along. The once-exposed shelter off the back porch will now be made solid, insulated and the catio will be enlarged to accommodate more kitties who like to bask in the sun. The old “customized’ guinea pig cage (two levels) will be torn down and an insulated, secure “stand up and not bump my head” cage will be built in its stead.

The feral feeders will have solid wood on all three sides and electric running to them so heated water pans and heated beds will be able to run during the wintertime. There will be a small fence in the front of each feeder to keep Cooper out. Ever since he started feeling like a dog again- those cat food trays are quite tempting. I think a low fence, one I can step over but he can’t jump because of his missing back leg, will do the trick nicely.

The deck enclosure that used to be our gazebo will have a two- story catio on the side fully wired and screened. The main enclosure off the house will be half wood and half screen to create a windbreak when the winter hits and shelves and ramps will be made so kitties can get off the cold ground and into heated beds.

The stall enclosure will now be fully enclosed with wood- insulated and instead of a warming cave (that I can’t possibly fit into) there will be an actual insulated warming room within the fully insulated enclosure. We debated whether or not to tear down the big double stall doors in the back, but instead they will stay up and be insulated and closed off with wood. Beams will be added where the cracks show to keep the winter weather out. But in the summertime or the Springtime, those doors can be opened and wire will prevent cats from escaping and won’t stop the breezes from going into the enclosure. The catio will also be enlarged and run along the side of the enclosure giving the cats inside a lot more room.

I’ll be honest with you- after my parents passed away, I was wondering if I should just step down and stop rescuing once and for all. But then the phone rings and the stories start and I find myself wanting to say “No I’m sorry we can’t help you.” And instead hear myself say “We’ll be right there.”

Recently someone ditched a kitten up on Quartzville Road, it is road that at milepost 6 leads to Green Peter Dam and then the road just keeps going past the dam and into some pretty secluded forest area. It’s famous for a ditch road because no one really lives up there- it’s all government land. I got into it a bit with a woman who posted on the FB page that she just didn’t understand why “everyone” was stopping their lives and going up there to this isolated area Milepost 22 to look for this kitten because according to her: “Cats survive perfectly fine on their own in the wild and putting out food for the kitten just brings predators in to eat the food.” I tried to inform her she was mistaken, she didn’t take kindly to being told she was wrong and I was nice about it. Someone contacted me in chat and asked me “Mary Anne why are you arguing with someone who has no brain cells?” So I stopped arguing and backed out. It is common thinking here (and elsewhere I am afraid) that cats do survive fine in the wilds- but this kitten, he was near death when he was finally found. He’s been to the vet, he’s in foster care right now and I think the family has fallen in love with this tuxedo boy. They are calling him Gravel because there is gravel pit on that road.

On the Mike front- the doctors and surgeons have decided instead of having him go to wound care twice a week, I am doing “such a good job” caring for this leg that now that is all delegated out to me. I clean and wrap his leg every day. The wound on the bottom of his foot is closing up! YAY!! But our bathroom still resembles a crime scene after he takes a shower. Even the gentle setting on the shower head will cause his leg to open up and bleed now. I just keep praying that none of the superficial wounds on the leg will turn into a bigger problem.

Mr. Riley aka:Stryker the cat who lost his owner to heart disease is still only eating Temptations. I am taking him into the vet tonight for bloodwork and x-rays to be sure this 12 year old isn’t fighting something more ominous then being a picky eater. If he gets a clean bill of health- then I have a family interested in adopting him!  They initially contacted me for a kitten, but I gently persuaded them that he would swallow up all the love offered to him more than any kitten ever would.

I think that brings us up to date. The photo below shows me and George picking up supplies and yes, I know I look like I am constipated but I had just hit my knee on the trailer hitch. I’m smiling and grimacing at the same time! LOL  But it is a great photo of George the man!

If you think you can help- then please do so. Cats Inc, just sent a little bit of what we could-

https://www.facebook.com/dottiesferals/about

I am proud to announce that my friend and fellow cat rescuer- Dusty Rainbolt has finished her book (after 3 years of research) about inappropriate elimination by your kitty. It is available on Kindle right now, and will be out in paperback in 3 weeks. I can’t wait to read it.

You can view it on Amazon with a sneak peek into a few of the pages and I just got off the phone with her. She is quite proud of it and says it contains all NEW information about the number one reason why so many cats find themselves ” suddenly abandoned” Litter pan misses and inappropriate elimination.

It is called Cat Scene Investigator once again the author is Dusty Rainbolt- she also wrote Cat Wrangling 101, Kittens for Dummies and more. I love her humor even when dealing with such a delicate and frustrating issue such as: “Why is my cat still peeing in the corner of the living room?!”

A Must Read

Look at what was waiting for me this morning. These beauties piled out of the box they were stuffed in like the waves of the sea!

Eulogy for A Unwanted Pet
by: a long-time cat rescuer

You were initially discovered lying in the grass at a local river-front park. A gentleman watched you from the bridge as you slowly ducked behind the outbuilding should someone even came close. He noticed your pencil-thin grey body with patterns of white on your chest, sunk-in rear legs. Wondering if perhaps you had been struck by a car, or mauled by another animal. The man left only to return the following week.

To his dismay upon returning to the same spot, he was startled to once again spot you lying in the same place as before. When people came close, he noticed you stiffened a bit but didn’t move. Night was approaching quickly, so this kindhearted soul decided, he was going to take you home. Approaching you, instead of fleeing, you gave a weak meow. He stuck you underneath his jacket, hoping his body heat would warm your chilly body and hustled you home.

Turns out, one of his mom’s good friends was a cat rescuer. When Dee called me, I rushed you to the vet immediately to be tested, evaluated and treated…or so I thought. Turns out, you were microchipped. You had an owner! All treatment was brought to a standstill until the owners could be contacted. On the off-chance that they might not want you any longer, I left word that we would step in and if the vets thought you were treatable and able to be salvaged, we would ask they owner surrender you to us.

Six hours after picking you up, I received word. You were not wanted by your humans any longer, you were ours! Your name had been “Cracker” a name that hardly fit your Royal Russian Blue-ness. We renamed you “Sparkle.” My thought being at the time, if there was even a glimmer of hope that you could survive all you had endured, we would gladly go the distance.

Initial diagnosis after exam, x-ray but no blood work (you were so anemic) your blood was like water, they wanted to wait for two weeks for a re-check to run blood. You were possibly asthmatic, anemic, weak, and malnourished with a load of parasites. We treated for the worms and fleas gave you food and fluids then took you home for more groceries and TLC.

My heart wept when I actually had you on my lap and could examine you. Pencil-thin, every rib showing, no fat cap on your rump, your backbone sticking up, no protection evident. You had so many cockleburs on you. Brushing your fur caused you to complain softly- you had nothing to protect you even from the softest brush. You laid on my lap that first night and we both fell asleep.

Your best friend became your pet heating pad. (I was just the human can-opener). You would leave the pad only long enough to eat and drink then head-bump a “thank you” before returning to the warmth it offered. Not knowing how long you had been “missing” my prayers centered on the hope you were just plumb worn out trying to survive. The pads of your feet showed wear and tear. How many miles, I wondered did you actually travel?

A week passed and though you ate like you had a hole in your stomach, you were not gaining weight. More troubling the constant avoidance of all three of the litterpans, although within easy reach of your nest- you would move off just a few inches from the pad pooping and peeing all over yourself in the process. Your breath was still ragged and irregular. Feeding time produced the only movement in your day. Once you ate, I would get one head bump and you would move back to the warmth of your pad.

Instead of waiting out for your next schedule recheck, I took you back early. Turns out, you were diabetic, your sugars were 4.0- you had pancreatitis and a “doughy belly” that according to the vet didn’t feel “quite right.” We sat down and discussed all the pros and cons of the latest results. You were 17 years old- now looking at a lifetime of stressful vet visits, daily injections at least two if not three times a day of insulin along with medication to help the pancreatitis and the growing suspicion that the doughy belly was something a bit more ominous than a load of worms. The decision was reached reluctantly amid tears- your Bridge Pass would be stamped and you would finally be at peace and out of pain.

As the needle found its mark, I hugged you close and kissed the top of your head. I told you: “Sparkle, your owners may not have wanted you any longer, but I did and I am grateful for the short time we shared together. You have blessed my life. You have shown me what a beautiful soul you posess. Sparkle, your light may now be dimming but you’ve left a flame inside me that glows brightly and will not be extinguished any time soon. Goodbye beautiful girl- Godspeed.” And as quickly as you came into my life, you were gone.

In the first 15 minutes of being here, he inhaled a bowl of dry food, ate half a bowl and wet and drank almost a bowl of water. Yay!! He is alert and a bit unhappy about his new confinement, but for now, this is how it has to be.