Thursday, February 05, 2009

A Proud Day to Be in Rescue

I'm just getting back from the shelter after a rocky start to my morning. I'm sitting in my windowless basement this morning answering e-mails etc, when all the lights go off! It's pitch black and I can hear the dog barking on the otherside of the door. I grab my coffee mug and I'm ready to pour scalding coffee on the intruder. I run face first into a pole - I panic and throw my coffee into the air and it hits the couch and far wall. *sigh* Of course, the lights come on shortly afterwards. On the way to the shelter, I choke on a piece of apple and have to pull over on the highway. I poise my finger on the 9 button to start dialing 911, but the apple comes flying out.
I'm still gasping with tears and mascara pouring down my face but I get back on the highway...

I'm a trooper...despite the morning delays, I make it to the shelter on time. I'm so excited for this rescue. One sweet girl named Agatha is going to her forever home tonight. She has a wonderful adopter who has 2 other calicos. Talk about a house full of prima donnas!

Agatha probably weighs all of 5 lbs. She had some sort of head trauma and is probably blind. She's adorable and she's sweet, sweet, sweet. I'm thrilled she's going to a wonderful home!

I also rescued a very handsome boy named Isaac:

Isaac is going to a foster home with two other male cats his age. I bet they'll all have a ball. His foster Mom is new with fostering - it's so nice to hear the excitement in someone's voice! It helps me remember what it was like when I first started. Look at that white tip on Isaac's tail!

The only thing that makes me happier than rescuing a senior cat, is rescuing a black cat.

This is Denzel. :) He's about 4-5 years old and hasn't stopped purring since he arrived in my home. He and Isaac are hanging out together until it's time to go to their foster home. Denzel is going to a home with 5 other cats. His new foster Dad asked for a "big, sweet black cat" - Well Ian, Denzel is your man!

I'm very excited to drive into Toronto tonight and play stork. I've desperately tried to forget that tomorrow is a euthanasia day at the shelter and many will die that I left behind today. But I've made a difference in the lives of Agatha, Isaac and Denzel. (My friend in rescue took Agatha home with her (along with HER favourite: Aeden) and is keeping her until her new Mommy can pick her up. )

I want to give a very special "Thank you" to Brenda who is making it possible to get so many cats out of the shelter with her inspiring posts on Craigslist. It's a day to be proud to be in rescue.

4 comments:

RHz said...

Running into a pole in the pitch blackness has a familiar sound to it...
I'm TERRIFIED of the woods at night when I'm alone. Our rescue is in the woods (our founder's acres of property) and I was dropping off supplies one night by myself. I was assured the outside lights would be left on. They weren't. I sucked it up and carried each thing into the storage barn. When I was done, I proceeded to walk down the never-ending driveway to check on the TNR cats in the barn. I heard something behind me and just took off running. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, that's how dark it was. Needless to say, I wound up running right into the hood of my car, flipping over it and landing sprawled out on my back in the gravel. My knee was purple and sore for weeks. Of course, that's when the shelter founder pulled up and saw me laying there, hysterically laughing.

I hope you're okay, too! ;-)
And of course, as always, I'm glad to hear that the cats had you to rescue them.

Anonymous said...

I know all about the problems with black cats/kittens. I have two (Ernie and Bert) that were kittens in May. They both went to PetSmart again today, this time separately, so hopefully they'll get adopted.

Isaac is sweet! He looks just like Ruth, an abandoned cat that I rescued privately (with her two kittens). They all got in the program and got adopted very quickly.

Poor Agatha -- she's gorgeous. I had a cat a long time ago that went blind from FLV; she was fine except once I forgot and rearranged the living room furniture.

Casper (my new permanent kitten) is definitely a barrel of goofiness. He's missing Ernie and Bert and can't really get any of the other cats to play with him. He only knocked over two lamps today -- he's getting better :)

Unknown said...

Hi Beth!! this is VERY URGENT -- can you please contact the Hamilton cat shelter to make sure Matty is not euthanazied today? i cant get a hold of anyone.......Sharon or Brenda. I can pick him up today!! please!!! Natalya

House of the Discarded said...

Hey Natalya -

I was at the shelter today and Matty was NOT euthanized. She's safe.