Time to do an overhaul on all the litter pans and I sit here in my recliner not very willing to move. (Well my spirit is willing, but my knee is still weak). We do a complete clean twice a month and it goes pretty fast (usually). I have asked the volunteers to help out. We will see who shows up for this task. Because we spray the bottom of the litterpans with PAM cooking spray which allows the litter to just slide out of the pans easily with no sticking. The job doesn’t take up to much time. I know recently they have developed a new litter called Slide, but you can accomplish the same job with just using non-stick cooking spray on your pans. One note of caution though- don’t overspray it and don’t spray the sides of the pan. The cats love the taste and tend to lick it up if it lands on the sides of the pans. Also, if you have a litterpan that has a stain on it that you can’t seem to get to come clean. Try using toothpaste and a small scrub brush but be sure to rinse thoroughly. They like the smell of the toothpaste, but it is not something that should be swallowed. Even though you put it in your mouth, the caution on the label says do not swallow. But it certainly removes stubborn stains without the smell of bleach assaulting your nose.

There are 32 litter pans in our sanctuaries- anybody want to grab a litter scoop and join us? Come on over! 🙂

She came out of the shadows about a month ago. I am guessing it is girl and like the other orange kitty that recently came here, her eye is also compromised. We are wondering if this was a litter dropped off or just a litter from another place that have found their way here. I tried putting out the traps- but besides catching a HUGE possum, a skunk and my own cats- this one stays clear. I have just been going out there and talking to her and before, she would normally just run back through the hole in the fence and come in after I leave to eat- now she will at least stay at the corner of the shop and watch me carefully when I am dishing out food.

I am not sure what is going on with her eye- whether this litter had a bad case of conjunctivitis. or she got into a fight. I don’t know if she is blind in that eye. I am hoping because this morning I saw her for the first time on the other side of our house looking at the other cats inside the enclosure, that her trust meter is not on high alert and before the end of the month, I can gain her trust and get in to be seen. I just call her Orange Mist because until today, she simply just evaporates from sight. I am also giving her probiotic powder in her food- hoping to help her because she is so emaciated it breaks my heart.

Here he/she is right before dusk. Each day slowly getting braver

I am praying that this week’s donation will bring us more than just cat litter. We are on our last bag of dry food right now- which will last throughout the month so there is still time. It’s scary to us being so close to running out of food. I can’t go out and get a job because I have to take care of Mike, and if I did have a job right now, I would have an unhappy boss because walking, driving, lifting, sitting is so torturous for me. It is going to drop into the 20’s tonight so have fed wet food early enough that the cats will eat it before it freezes. Who will be out of luck there are the late nighters who don’t come in until about 2-4 a.m. By then, the food will be frozen to the plate.

Thursday night we received a phone call from a frantic child telling me her kitty was high up in a tree. Her name was Amanda (the kitty) and she had been up in this pine tree for four days. She was only four months old. Chrissy, her owner was in tears and told me her and her parents had called everybody and no one would help them.

I jumped in the truck along with a huge bag of bird seed and a bag of cracked corn. When I got there- I spread the contents of both bags right under the tree and left a large extension ladder propped against the tree. Then I made a huge circle of wet food on a board just outside of the bird seed. I said a prayer and told the family that I hoped what I did would matter.

I got an elated call this morning that the kitty had come down from her perch. I was so happy to hear that- the mom asked me why I thought this method would work in the first place. She was highly skeptical (not to mention a bit drunk) when I showed up in the first place and outlined my plan. I told her that this had worked in the past, and I believed that it worked because a cat’s prey drive is pretty strong and even overpowers fear. Seeing all the birds gathered down below, Amanda forgot where she was for a minute or two and made her way down to hunt. The extension ladder made it a bit easier for her once she came down to its level.

One of the problems with adopting out kittens before they are fully ready- most people are so tire of them by 5 or 6 weeks they just want them gone, is that the mom doesn’t get a chance to train her kittens to hunt. Part of that training consists of going up and down a tree. Going up is easy- just scamper headfirst to the branches. But going down, they should be going down butt first- but most will go down head-first that just adds to the fear of being up so high. It’s becoming a lost art in the cat world- going head-first they freeze like a deer in the headlights. Going butt first, they don’t see where they are going- it is all instinctive.

If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation with a cat in a tree, just remember you have to buy the biggest bag of bird seed you can find. A small bag is not going to work- you have to empty the entire contents of the bag on the ground under the tree(s) and the cracked corn also attracted the blue jays and larger birds to add to the hunting grounds. Another thing you want to be sure to do- is to take the cat immediately to the vet if it has been up there more than 3 days. You are looking at dehydration issues or even feline hepatic lipidosis in extreme cases.

They gave me $20.00 for my trouble and I was glad to see it because donations have been almost nonexistent recently. I did want to give my vey $100.00 but now, at least there is $20.00 to give him.

Watching Hollister interact with the two of us, I am saddened to think that because of her early introduction to a human who did not understand the ways of a cat, she may not be able to move on and become someone’s beloved kitty for the rest of her life. When she sleeps with me, she will start by first sniffing my hair (as if she likes the smell of the shampoo). Her purr will then intensify and her sniffing becomes almost frantic- then she attacks my scalp. She digs in with teeth and claw and when she is removed, she comes right back. I hide my head under a pillow and she burrows her head deep underneath still seeking my hair and my head.

Last night I slept with a knitted cap on my head, hoping that might help and it didn’t. The only thing that prevents her from attacking at night is preventing her from sleeping in our room. Then she sits at the door and wails all night keeping me up. Mike’s oblivious to the noise as he takes his hearing aids out before he sleeps- but she is loud. I finally resorted to an old trick I discovered that stops cats from wanting to get into the bedroom at night. I parked the vacuum just inside the bedroom door. It was plugged in but not on. When she started screaming that she wanted inside, I turned the machine on just for a second and she scrambled away. Eventually, I was able to just park the vacuum outside the door not running and all was peaceful and quiet for the night. As time goes on and she feels she can trust humans again, the vacuum can be put back in the closet. But for right now- it stands vigil in the evening hours. It’s a good trick to stick in your back pocket if you have a cat that keeps you awake at night. Much better than spraying a cat with water- or screaming at the cat, stomping your feet or other methods some use to stop unwanted behavior in the nighttime.

Hollister was adopted out last week and she was returned yesterday. Apparently, she bit one of the older kids in the chin and drew blood. I told the new adopters that her trust meter was fairly low and they said they understood having “rescued” another cat years ago with trust issues. But they aren’t willing to just let her figure out things for herself and although I saw the wound- it was nothing really. Not even that deep- but they tossed her back.

I suspect she will just stay here for awhile until the memory of all she endured before coming here has faded away. I never noticed before, but she has a mark on her back and the pattern looks somewhat like a heart. She has our hearts and that’s all that matters.

We are still turning down cats right-and-left and it makes us sad, because there is no place really for these cats to go. But with a nine-hundred dollar vet debt and the food supply tenuous at best-there are no other options available to us at this time. When you throw the word feral into the midst talking about placing cats somewhere safe- it narrows the field.

The weather here has been frigid especially at night.  Yesterday, it warmed up enough to snow and more snow is in the forecast for tomorrow through Thursday. Kota doesn’t quite know what to make of all this white stuff falling from the sky. He started barking at the snowflakes yesterday which we thought was pretty funny. I would love it to just dump on us heavy and stick- I think he would be one of those dogs who would just dive into a snowbank and love it.

This morning, I left my flashlight outside when I was feeding. I went out to get it (this is about 4:00 in the morning) I heard this skunk making noises of distress under the shop- of course the flashlight was sitting on the feeding table out there. I went to reach for it- and turned it on and that’s when I saw the skunk. She was under the feeding table surrounded by the baby nutrias. They were growling and gnashing their teeth at her. I am not sure what set all that up- but I didn’t stick around to find out. By the time Kota and I made it to the house, the skunk smell had followed us inside. Yuck- thank God for Vicks Vapo Rub under the nose- overpowers everything.

When it got lighter, I went back outside to see how things were going and noticed the fresh hole dug down under the shop. I don’t think the new tenants are going to get along very well. I don’t really know how fierce Nutrias are in the wild, but they come from South America and they are rodents so I imagine even the babies can hold their own in a battle.

Tripp is doing so much better on the CBD oil. He is no longer fixated on his tail- eating the carpet or trying to suck down socks in his spare time. What I like about this treatment is it doesn’t turn him into a drooling zombie cat. I am noticing he is gaining weight now- I think the oil gives him the munchies.

My knee is still incredibly painful. Worse time is at night- can only lay in one position and the cats are determined to lay on me which only increases the pain. I can’t knock them off because I can’t move my leg freely.

I went for recheck today and they are concerned that my right foot will not straighten all the way. It wants to point to the outside, which I find odd because when my knee buckles, it buckles to the inside pocket. They renewed my pain meds and told me to start trying to do leg lifts as best I can because the meniscus when injured can adhere to a tendon that it is not connected to. Now they are not sure if it is a tear or a deep tissue injury. An MRI has been scheduled but the calendar for those are full so it is weeks away. They are going to expedite the order.

I have help with the outside feeders and the sanctuary cats which leaves me to tend to the inside kitties. I think Kota is suffering the most, I am unable to take him anywhere except outside to go potty and I see all his energy starting to explode. He knows I am hurt and normally he will pull me out to his pen at night to go potty and now he keeps in step with me without the pulling.

I have a brace to wear but it doesn’t fit at the moment because of all the swelling. They don’t want me to wear it yet- they just want me to have it on hand.

I did send out all the donation receipts and thank you letters. if you did not receive one either by email or direct mail, please let me know. My thanks to James for his help with creating such a great letterhead and helping me put it all together into something that might pass for professional 🙂

I love you guys a lot but sitting is a challenge, so I am going to sign off now. Thanks for all you did for the cats in 2017- so far no one has stepped up as a merchant to take the pressure off of feeding them in 2018 but the year is just getting started. It will all work out in the end and I will hobble through it-

Hey Guys,

A few days ago, I had Kota on a play date. There were two women I met a few months ago at the dog park and we formed a friendship. They have two dogs that Kota just really loved to run with and after a few times of running them at the dog park- Sue and Colleen invited us to their home where they have a large almost two acre fenced front yard that gradually goes down into a gentle slope. It’s perfect for Kota and Torrie (their shepherd mix) to run on because there are three rock walls the dogs have to jump on or over so that expends more energy. It is pure joy to see them run- like a big racetrack and the dogs get along great.  

I was on the lower level which thank God is grassy and wet and Kota was in front of me. I turned my back on him to leave and called him to my side. Oh, he came all right, at a fast clip and before I figured it out, he had hit me full bore in the back of my knees! I flew in the air and when I came down- I was lying on my back with my knees folded under me. I had hit my right shoulder and my head and I could feel this numbing pain traveling down my back toward my right leg. I could not move. Kota was beside himself, he knew instinctively that he had messed up and he was circling me and whining and nudging me as if to say “Mom get up, I don’t like this game anymore.” The only problem, I couldn’t move. I think I was screaming- it was a great deal of pain. 

I was lying in water and I knew I had to get up so I rolled over and tried to tuck my legs under me to get up- and then I know I screamed. Kota came to my side, and by bracing myself on him, I was able to get up. But, when I took a step, my right knee tried to buckle inward and a searing pain went through my body.  I knew because I was standing, that I hadn’t broke anything so slowly, I was able to get to the truck and with Kota’s help got into the truck and drove home. My knee was swelling at a great rate- so I iced it all that night and took ibuprofen hoping against hope it would be better in the morning. It wasn’t. 

I went to Urgent Care the next morning and they determined that I had torn my minescus. They gave me a pain shot, an anti-inflammatory shot and told me to stay off it for a week. I explained my circumstances, my husband and his needs and the cats plus the dog, so the doctor just shook his head and said do the best you can to stay off it, but don’t let it seize up. 

It hurts like the dickens. It initially swelled up to the size of a watermelon- but thankfully the shot helped to take a lot of the inflammation away. Today, it is the size of a cantaloupe. My problem is standing and sitting. I am using a walker to get around and I never realized how far it was to the mailbox until this happened.  They also diagnosed me with osteoporosis and I am supposed to really start taking calcium and eating calcium enriched food. The doctor said that they can’t replace the calcium lost, but that the diet will stop me from losing more. He said at my age, it is to be expected to lose calcium, but he was surprised at how much is actually gone. I told him about my early hysterectomy at age 21 which I believed had a bearing on the loss of calcium and he said that would do it. 

So how do I tell my cats that I can’t properly care for them right now. I have cut down the feeding time to only once a day which I hope will only last a few more days. I had a volunteer out yesterday, but she fed them dog food instead of cat food and my other volunteers haven’t been here in quite awhile.  My biggest concern is if I do have to have surgery- who is going to step in and care for Mike, Kota and the cats while I recover? My knee is still buckling when it shouldn’t be and I embarrassed myself yesterday when I went to the store to pick up my prescription and I screamed in pain when my knee gave out. People came running asking me if I was okay? I am concerned because I have a high pain tolerance- but not for this apparently.

Watching Trip try and fight his way out of the neurological state he seems trapped in has been frustrating. The vets have tried all sorts of medication to even him out, but nothing seems to be working for very long. We took him in Friday for a second opinion and this time, the new vet seems to think that not only does Tripp suffer from Pica, but he also has feline hyperesthesia. Years ago, we had a kitten here with feline hyperesthesia and no amount of prescribed meds seemed to help Kahuna level out. So, I did some research, talked to a few people and decided to put Tripp on CBD oil. We have started giving him 10 drops (5 drops in the morning 5 at night) It does not turn him into zombie cat. It does not make him drool. He does not fight the medication. Have we actually found something that will level him out? Normally, he will wake me in the night choking because he acts like a Hoover vacuum at night- sucking down anything he finds on the floor including carpet threads. The past few nights, he has slept through the night only waking a few times to use the pan or to eat his food.

He is no longer chasing his tail until he falls over exhausted- his fixation on certain spots in the walls doesn’t seem to occupy him full-time anymore. He’s not chewing on the wall anymore in an effort to rid himself of whatever it is he sees on those walls. He’s calmer when he is with Michael- no longer climbing on Mike’s head and hanging on for dear life. Time will tell if this too will fail for him. But so far, it all looks good. We are crossing our fingers and toes.

Canned Food has started to arrive for the cats and we are so grateful for the giving hearts behind the arrivals. Not all of the packages contain the name(s) of the contributor though, so thanking the nameless ones behind the love is the reason behind this posting.

Another reason is , if you could let me know ahead of time so I can keep an eye out. I would be grateful. Our home sits beside a busy highway and there have been times in the past when packages vanish. If you could email me at MaryAnneM@LadyDawg.net beforehand that would be great.

Thank you again for the gravy pleasers, the meow mix wet food and the fancy feast canned as well as Friskies Pate. Our cats here send you a BIG “Thank Mew very much!”