I just wanted to share a real blessing that happened this morning. I have been so worried about how I am going to cover the twelve spays/neuters for the kittens in the bedroom. Our vet debt is in the thousands of dollars once again. I wish that were an untruth, but it just the reality of what we are about- taking the hardship cases no one else will touch. It adds up quickly.

I have been deep in prayer for weeks because donations of monies have become almost non-existent of late. This morning, someone called me and she is going to cover all the costs to get the kittens neutered in October! That is a huge deal and the tears are still flowing from me in gratitude. Our vet debt will still remain the same and she wishes to stay anonymous- but she has my heart in a major way. These kittens will now have a chance to move on to loving homes because they are still so young. All the ringworm is cleared up at last as well.

I am always so amazed and tickled when we get cats/kittens in so close to the edge and with just time, vet care and TLC they can turn the corner in wonderful ways. I had been told this kitten has been having  three seizures a day! She had one when she first got here and none since! Praying that this continues for her. I introduced her to the other healthy kittens this morning and there were some hissing and posturing but I am sure when she is stronger and can hold her own when she is jumped in play, she will do fine. She loves Kitty Krack aka: Fancy Feast and thanks to a wonderful, loving donation of late, I have several cases to offer her.

Tonight I gave her a bath. It took 7 rinses before the water coming off of her stopped turning red. I have never seen so many dead fleas come off a tiny kitten! At least she now has the strength to shiver. I used the blow dryer on her and she is eating now. I am going to give her some black walnut tomorrow to kill the tapeworms. It does the job slowly but it does less damage than the chemicals they would use on her right now that would ultimately kill her. But after all that flea blood and dead fleas she has to be loaded with tapeworms 🙁

Quincy had an early morning encounter of the smelly kind (Skunk) He got sprayed in the face and mouth (poor boy) I didn’t know what happened and let him in after his early morning pee break and was instantly sorry!  Now the house stinks and the boy has been bathed with pet shampoo, tomato juice and a combination of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dishwashing soap. Because I am here to tell you tomato juice does not work! I did run to Walmart to see if they had any nature’s remedy but they were out. Speaking of out, that is where Quincy is right now- in his pen. I hope this will stop him from stealing the cat food a favorite trick of his- I am sure that is what happened- he stuck his head and nose between the barrier boards to eat the food and found instead Ms. Skunk eating her daily fruits berries and hard boiled eggs- LOL  Poor boy- I gave him a big can of canned dog food- because I know full well what being sprayed in the face with skunk oil is like. People that have never been sprayed don’t understand that this liquid is pure oil and so hard to get rid of. I will give him something later to settle his stomach down as I am sure it is roiling about now.

This baby was in rough shape. Covered in fleas, lousy with earmites, her gums looked bled out. I flea combed her and got hundreds of fleas off her. She was ice cold when they delivered her to me. She has been alone on the porch in a cardboard box (no heat) since she was 4 weeks old!  I have dropped her off at the vet and am hoping for the best news but also preparing for the worst. She was so lethargic and refused food and water. Her body is just hammered- she has patches of fur that has been lost for God only knows what reason. Please pray for her-

She was quivering the whole time they examined her thus her name change. Here she is sitting upright for the first time since she arrived here:

Miracles do happen! They think it might be the fleas and the fact that she is so debilitated that she just has nothing left in her tank. She tested negative for the diseases but they were unable to get more than a few drops of blood because the fleas have took it all! She is back home, she is eating and I am to watch over her and if she does have a seizure I need to put it on video. Problem is, I don’t have a video camera. I don’t even have a camera anymore. Oh well- at least she is still with us something that surprised even the vet. Said he has never seen so many adult fleas on such a little kitty!

They did give her fluids and a B-12 shot- just pray she keeps eating and gets stronger as the days pass.

I have to add, I LOVE seeing fleas die!

That is what I call this sweet 12 week old kitty who is having grand mal seizures. When I first heard about her, I asked if a vet had been consulted- the answer was no, the mom was a stray who had her kittens on their porch. I have been trying to get the kitten surrendered to me since and finally tonight, the woman said I could pick her up in the morning. It’s not in the budget right now, but I will take her to the vet ASAP. It is doubtful that she will survive this- but if there is a chance, our vet will find it. I understand the daughter got quite attached to this kitten who has been shunned by mom and littermates alike, but I hate to hear of animals suffering in any fashion and am glad I was able to finally persuade the family to turn her over to me. She is pitch black-

Speaking of trembles, I was a doing a good bit of trembling three days ago when a 10 inch cast iron skillet slid off the stove and landed on my foot. Thank God it was stone cold but it did some major tendon and tissue damage to my foot and it is hard to get around right now. Mike said he would cut it off for me! LOL  I know he was kidding, but at one point I almost took him up on his offer because it hurt like the dickens! Nothing is broken but it will be at least a month before it returns to normal according to the doctor.

They also have a dog-friendly webpage as well

Cat Friendly States

Yesterday, since I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by to check on One-Eyed Jack. I knocked on the door and someone told me to come in. I stepped through the door and looked over in the living room and started beaming. Jack was lying on the couch with his butt on one woman and his head on the other! They were both stroking him and loving on him and the look in his one eye was pure contentment! This kitty who was dumped in a trailer park has hit the lottery of love. He came right up to me and the woman said “Oh look, he remembers you.” I remember him too and he will forever be a part of my heart..

Found out yesterday that a check written last week for the adoption of one of the kittens has not been honored. I got the letter from the bank yesterday. I called the woman but she is not returning my calls. I am left scrambling to cover the $30.00 NSF fee and the other costs because silly me, I still trust people!

Just received a call from a childhood friend, her brother Reggie is diabetic just as Mike is on insulin not pills. He (like Mike) puts “Non-Compliant” through the wringer and right now is in emergency surgery in California. His leg developed gangrene and septicemia has set in. They are amputating the leg and they don’t even know if he will make it through the surgery. He is 62 years old- please pray for Reggie and for Avis. I know she will up all night in prayer as well. One thing that Reggie does that Mike does not is drink heavily which is what led to the gangrene. Thank you for your faith-

Tuesday update: I called this morning and talked to a worried Avis. She hasn’t heard anything since he went into surgery at 7:00 last night. I told her this is a GOOD thing if something had happened they would have called her immediately. She was relieved to hear this and said she would call me as soon as she heard how her brother is doing. He is in no way out of the woods yet- Mike’s worse time by far was after the surgery and they had him out for days on morphine. He was as goofy as a pet coon for about a week. He is still also facing phantom pain in the extreme which makes me sad. It usually goes away after 6 months but if it stays longer they say it is here for life. It is the first time I have seen him cry when it hit him that’s how intense it is. Amazing how the body and brain responds to the loss of a limb.

Thank the good Lord, other than having mildly diluted urine, everything else checks out fine. On a hunch, I bought a pheromone collar and put it on her and about an hour later she was perked up and running with the rest and eating more than two bites of food. I think her problem was the extreme way her life changed in an instant. She went from being a beloved pet in a home to having to deal with living here at the sanctuary. It doesn’t surprise me that her urine isn’t concentrated like most cats are- because she drinks a lot of water. I was afraid she might be diabetic. One in the family is enough for now! 🙂 But, the collar is working on her and she isn’t just sleeping in the same spot all day long. My hope is I can find her a home- she deserves to live out the end of her life in comfort. The vet said she is about 14 years old-

“Pretty” the cat who was just signed over to me has been renamed Gypsy. It has been clear since they dumped these cats on me that this girl is suffering. I am taking her to the vet in a few minutes to be seen. I suspect either Diabetes or liver failure based on the signs I have seen while she has been here. It may be why this whole situation came up- who knows. But at least now, the cats are legally mine and I can treat them. Buddy has been renamed Bugsby and he bolted outside yesterday when some medical equipment arrived. He’s hanging around with the other cats and not fighting. He was fighting with the cats indoors big time. I took the pheromone collar off of him this morning. I don’t like cats with collars especially outside unless they are breakaways.

Please pray that I am wrong about Gyps and she is just in mourning for her life that she had since she was a kitten. Will update when I can-

10:30- won’t know anything until the bloodwork gets back probably tomorrow