A Plea For "Chunk"

"Chunk" needs help. I wrote about Chunk when he first arrived at the shelter back in December 2009. You can read about him here and also here .

Since December 2009, he's been living at the shelter as the "shelter cat". We always thought he was happy. It wasn't exactly a "real home", but it was the best that could be expected for a 35 lb. cat that was abandoned at the shelter.

It's certainly better than being dead.

Since then, Chunk is down to a svelt 28 pounds!

I received a Facebook message from a staff member yesterday that Chunk had been sick. The City spent $500.00 on x-rays, bloodwork, etc., but found nothing. In the usual City lack-of- commitment-to-the-animals-mode-of-operation, they determined that they've spent enough on Chunk and wanted to kill him. So the staff member brought Chunk home for a few days to assess him.

Chunk is doing much better in a home environment. He's getting stronger, but needs a place where he can call home - even if it's a foster home. Chunk is only 3-4 years old AND declawed.

Surely there's somebody out there that can give Chunk a home and love him? I've spent so much time with big hunk o' love and he's my favourite boy!

The Perfect Storm

I'm not sure how it happened, but I've found myself to be doing less actual rescuing lately and more administrative work within the rescue.

To say, "I don't know how it happened", isn't exactly truthful. It takes a perfect storm and that's where I'm at today.

Storm #1 - Distemper at the high volume shelter. I can't rescue unvaccinated cats and kittens if there is an outbreak of Distemper there. It hurts my heart, but I have to do what's best for the foster homes, their cats and the rescue.

Storm #2 - Large number of returned cats. I don't know why folks think a rescue is like Sears and you can return a cat like you do a shirt that doesn't fit. I spoke with a man last night that wanted to return his two kittens because they had poop on their butts and didn't wash themselves. Seriously.

Returned cats take the place of cats that could've been rescued.

Storm #3 - "The Move List" - (Foster parents can't foster any longer). Let me say this first: If you're a foster parent - I appreciate you! Some foster parents need to move cats for a variety of reasons. Maybe you're fostering while you're in school, or have a few months to spare and want to help. Maybe you've had an emergency. Regardless, it's just one of those things, and this comment isn't here to make you feel badly. It's part of rescue. :)

You put all three of these storms together, and it's left me with not being able to rescue. I have to look away as cats are dying in the shelters. I'm not complaining about doing the administrative stuff. It's what keeps the rescue running - just like the volunteer drivers - it's not glamorous, but it's very very important to keep things running smoothly.

So for now...this is my life in rescue. I will rescue as often as I can, but I need AVAILABLE foster homes in order to do so. Please pass the word along.

I received the following picture from Crystal who picked up Survivorman for me the other day. It's a picture of Survivorman as they drove away from the shelter...I laughed out loud...

Is that his middle finger sticking up as they drove away? I sure hope so. :)

My Life in a Nutshell

"A RESCUER'S PRAYER"

'Now I lay me down to rest,'
I Pray my soul can stand this test.
''Of watching animals lose a home,
]''While owners complain, cry & moan.'
'I long for strenth of spirit and..'
'I Pray they find a Home Again,
''Where they will know a loving heart,
''I can't do much, but that's a start.

''Please keep me sane while dealing with:
''The women who bought this 'gift',
'A wriggling tiny 'ball of fluff''
That now is playing much to rough.
'"Remind me I should 'bite my lip''
When confronted with: "he grew too quick"
"I didn't know he'd get so large"
"He seems to think that he's "in charge"

'Protect my heart when I hear them say:'
"I think we'll breed our cat one day."
'Sometimes I think it'll 'break in two"
'Each day bring 'trials' harsh & new..''
And if I die before I wake,'
'I pray one hopeless soul you'll take.
''My tears are gone, my faith is bare..
''So Please Hear My Rescue Prayer.'

- Author Unknown -

"Survivorman"

I think the stress of the week has finally caught up with me. I woke up with a headache, chills, and lethargy - nothing that some Advil won't cure! There was way too much to do to be in bed watching The Price is Right....although, now that I type that, it doesn't sound like such a bad plan! :)

Yesterday, a fellow rescuer Crystal went back out to the hell hole shelter and rescued a little black 6 month old kitten. Through no fault of the shelter, his collar had grown into his neck so badly that his neck had been bleeding. She also mentioned another black cat that had just come into the shelter and sent the following email:

"I went out to today and brought him my precious black kitten...a beautiful 6 month old charmer. I am in love:) He purrs and cuddles and is having so much fun romping around with the rest of my brood. Today was quite disturbing at the kennell, (the staff member) brought me the kitten and he was completely covered in urine "gross". I just felt sad and held him even closer. He hung on to my neck so tight...heartbreaking. We have named our new boy "Liam".

While out at the kennell, (the staff member) introduced me to another black cat, I honestly don't know how old he was but he was neutered and seemed quite frisky. When opened his crate he rolled over on his back for a belly rub...this guy has a sad story that (the staff member)asked me to share. This guy was reported lost last summer by his family. He was neutered and tattooed. Somehow he survived the cold winter, wild animals and cars. He was found this week and his family was given the happy news; only they don't want him any more so there he sits in his own urine...Absolutely unbelievable to me."

Nothing really surprises me anymore about people's behaviour. But can you imagine not wanting him after a year being gone?? Assholes Idiots. I asked Crystal to send me some pictures of his rescue for tomorrow night's blog post. I really miss going to the shelter to rescue as often as I have been, but this particular shelter is so far away!

The good news is, we ARE rescuing the black cat mentioned in the email tomorrow. I'm calling him "Survivorman". I can't think of a better name for that guy. :)

In the meantime, I've been lost in "Cats to Move" list, and have also volunteered to be the rescue's official "Post-Adoption Complaint Department." Both have kept me so busy and buried behind the computer and my telephone. There have been so many cats that need to be moved into new foster homes (for one reason or another), it's prevented me from rescuing others. *sigh* I miss getting my hands into the meat of rescue, but what I'm doing is equally important and helps keep the rescue running.

Right now, "Survivorman" and I have something in common. We both are surviving - at least I'm not sitting in my own urine tonight. But then again, anything can happen. :)

The Learning Curve

I had some time to visit my two new "friends" at the vet clinic today. "Tommy" and "Jet" definitely know their names and seemed nonplussed about their visitor: (Turn down the volume on your speakers - my voice seems extra annoying today!)



The rescue of this pair has really been a learning experience for me. I didn't think there was much about rescue that you could teach me, but this was new territory. This pair has officially been "sponsored" and will be traveling to Tennessee to a wonderful sounding cage-free rescue. They will be loved and kissed once again while the kind folks of the Tennessee rescue help them find a home in their "seniors for seniors" program. They will NOT be split up.

I did my best to find them a spot locally, but this rescue seemed to take on life of it's own and I believe it was meant to be. It was really exciting for me, but I have to admit that I haven't felt like a "rescue newbie" in a long time. I didn't realize how many "rescue wagons" there are out there with people transporting animals from kill shelters to safe places. For a moment, it took me out of my comfort zone, but once I did my homework, I found that these people are amazing!!

Sooooooo....that being said, when the time comes in the next week, I'm hoping to enlist the help of a volunteer driver to take this pair into the US/Michigan border to meet up with transport. (Yes, you'll need a passport to cross the border) If nobody steps forward, I'll certainly do it, but the exhaustion factor with all else going on starts to pile on me.

Thank you to all who gave my son well wishes after his car accident the other night. He's sore and bruised but alive. Looks like he's going to be taking the bus for a while, and that's OK by me.

The Kindness of Strangers

I'm such a sap. I get goosebumps during the national anthem and cry when a stranger has her baby during "A Baby Story." But I almost always get choked up when I read or hear about the kind acts from strangers.

Most recently, I've really been touched by the outpouring of love and support regarding the pair of cats that I posted about on Friday. First, I noticed my friends on Facebook posting the video and asking for help. Then their posts contained the word "Shared"..."Shared"...."shared"....as they also shared their story.

I was contacted by two rescue organizations - both in the states that have offered to help the seniors. I love thinking about two other women on either sides of the country who are just like me - loving and working to save the animals. Until Friday, they were strangers to me. I still haven't spoken with either one on the phone, but their emails and voicemails sound just like me!

I'm over-the-moon happy to report that my pair of seniors have been rescued today. Many, many thank you's to Crystal and her daughter who delayed their mother/daughter day to pick up this pair for me. I only wish I had pictures of the rescue.

Crystal told me that she put their carriers facing each other, and they put their little paws out, so they were touching. They vet assistant told me this afternoon that they are literally snuggled together so close, that just about everybody part was touching. They love each other and I'm so happy that they will remain together forever.

Now the hard part comes on WHERE they will go. Normally, I spend my day doing rescue, but today was different. At about 8:30 pm I received a phone call from my youngest son who was in a terrible car accident last night. After seeing the wreckage, I don't know how he survived. But he not only survived, but walked away from the scene with some bruises and soreness:

I've spent my day today dealing with the literal wreckage from the accident and with an eerie feeling in my stomach. It must be a mother-thing. I hate that I'm so vulnerable to losing somebody that I love so much. I'm so grateful to the kindness of strangers that helped my son at the scene before I could get there.

Some people have asked me, "What can I do to help the senior pair?" I think we're going to need donations. (Lordie, I hate asking for money.) If the pair ends up in Tennessee (a Seniors for seniors program), I may need gas cards to help with transport. Or California, we'll need a Pet Airways transport. (I won't put them in cargo!)

I wish I had a spot for them within our own rescue, but I don't. We have a "To Move" list a mile long as we have foster parents who have cats that need to be moved into a new foster home for one reason or another.

Tomorrow is a new day and I need to take a deep breath and sort this out. I can't leave my little seniors at the vets forever. I'll need to make some more contacts and do some planning. I need to focus.

(In addition: If you'd like to donate, you can go through the Toronto Cat Rescue "Canada Helps" - it's a button on their home page: www.torontocatrescue.ca . In the subject line, would you please put: "For Beth Turner's rescue efforts in Woodstock". That way we'll be able to keep track of the money received. Thank you all so very very much!)

As Promised...

Back to the rural shelter today and as promised, I took a couple of videos and pictures. My media wasn't really welcomed, so I took pictures and video sort of fast and furious. I couldn't really speak because I didn't want to cause attention to myself. Doesn't really matter - the pictures speak a thousand words...


I rescued the little black cat in the video. She's safe and waiting for her spay surgery. She had 3 days worth of poop in her litterbox and no food or water as noted in the video.

I'm sorry that I didn't rescue this guy. His "carrier" seemed to have been recently cleaned which I was grateful to see. He was sweet.

The next video I took is about the following two cats:

These two were surrendered to the shelter at 8 years old age. They're siblings and their Mom went into a nursing home. The family didn't want them. According to the staff, "everybody gets a towel when they first arrive, but it doesn't last long." The little orange male was making (what I can only describe as ) sobbing noises in the corner. I've never heard a cat make this sound before. My friend who was with me heard it too. It broke my heart:

This little pair was so dear and they've had lost everything. I really want to help them so badly. They're already spayed and neutered. They just need a home.

The vet comes to euthanize whenever requested. It makes me nervous that there are not predictable times, because I don't know how long any one cat has left.

So there you go. It feels like somebody has punched me in the stomach a few times. But I hope the videos you've watched will do some good for the cats who are surviving in it.

A Thursday Update

I neglected to post about a very nice little rescue yesterday from the larger high volume shelter. My involvement was minimal, as Kathleen did the rescue herself. However, I've been spending a good portion of the day making sure these guys landed in their proper foster homes. My gas tank and my body are spent!

We were told that "Mush" (above) would be euthanized this morning because he was sneezing. Poor little man.

"Luca" went to a really neat foster home this afternoon. I met Alexise at a Toys R Us parking lot. She was driving a mini-van with two perfect little girls in car seats. It was like looking at myself 20 years ago! She even had the long blond hair! (insert Twilight Zone theme here)

"Frank" had been at the shelter the longest. It was really wonderful to finally rescue him. I had posted about him a long time ago and his time had finally come to be rescued. The staff at the veterinary hospital (where he was neutered today) LOVED him. He's going to be fostered by Alison. (Click on the "Alison" link to read that story - it was a doozy!)

I received a voicemail today on my cell phone from somebody who said they needed to "get rid of their cat in the next 2 hours." Seriously? I'm not sure which astounded me more - the fact that somebody NEEDED to dump their cat in 2 hours, or that somebody I know gave out my cell number without my permission. Regardless, this person received a call back referring them to the rescue phone line. I don't want to get involved with this sort of thing - it ends up running your life. I've seen too many other rescuers get caught up in a constant barrage of evening phone calls from strangers.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to go back to the "scary shelter". Honestly, that shelter really wrecks havoc on my soul. It took me several days to recover last time I was there and I'm just now feeling slightly normal. I hated the world for 2 days, and felt like somebody who had witnessed a horrific crime. I don't think there's anything that could've prepared me for what I saw.

This time - I'm bringing my camera...

Still Glowing

I think I'm becoming an emotional old gal. After the "victory rescue" yesterday, I picked up the 8 cats rescued from the Hell Hole Shelter and met with all the foster families last night at a familiar Wendy's parking lot. Watching everybody get out of their cars with their empty carriers gave me an emotional lift like I hadn't felt in ages.

Some of the foster parents were over-the-moon excited to take their new house guests home, and others gave me "My husband is going to kill me for taking another foster cat and I hate you Beth" look. :) Regardless, my heart was filled with such joy that nothing can really compare to it.

As I posted yesterday, one of the cats was going to a FOREVER home right away. He was a sweet fluffy grey guy that smelled like tomcat pee, and had been sitting in his own poop for days. He had been neutered several hours earlier, so he was like a drunken sailor and even had a little drool coming from his mouth. Poor guy was COVERED in old flea poop on top of everything else. There was no time to make him presentable for his new Mom. I had set up a "driving train" of several volunteers last night to get him to his new Mommy. I was sorry I didn't get to meet this lady.

Imagine my delight when the following email came in last night after I got home from his new Mom: (edited for length)

"I just wanted you to know that the handsome guy... now named Jupiter, is home safe and has made quite the mark already! He is very, very talkative and extremely affectionate! He loves his new temporary room and already has a favorite spot on my bed right where I sleep.... that's OK I'll take the other side ;) As I type he is purring away in my old spot on the bed! He has quite the motor on him, and I don't think he has stopped purring since he got here! It took him about 5 minutes to look around and make this his home. I left him to get him some fresh water and he was waiting for me at the door when I came back and welcomed me with a big meow. He is just amazing. He loves to rub up against you and get lots of love. He is quite the cuddler! And he has even had some fun playing with some of the toys! ...Thanks again for everything... I already can't imagine my life without, Jupiter. I think this was meant to be!"

Attached, was this picture:

If you had been there to see the sh*thole this darling little guy came from, you would understand why I burst into tears when I saw this beautiful picture.

I know I said I had more stuff to talk about regarding this shelter. It's nothing that can't wait. I still feel like I need to bask in the glow of this rescue for just one more day...

I hope you understand.

Victory!

Wow! I can't tell you how good it feels to title this blog post "VICTORY!" The remaining four cats at the Shelter From Hell were rescued this morning and taken to our veterinary clinic. They've been spayed, neutered, flea treated, and dewormed. Tonight, they'll be loved and kissed as they should've been since they were babies.

The emails and comments that came in from yesterday's blogpost kept me in a state of "almost crying" all evening. I sat in front of my computer and watched the miracles unfold one at a time until all 4 cats had a place to go.

The miracle gets even better: One big grey and white fluffy tomcat is going to a FOREVER home tonight. Many hugs and thank you's to Jamie who had been searching for a cat in need and seized the opportunity. She heard about the plight of these cats through an email chain asking for help. I was on the phone with her at 10:45 pm last night making sure this guy would be going to a good home. It wasn't just a good home - it's a GREAT home. He's a really lucky fella.

I've received some donations for the cats from complete strangers. I'm overwhelmed and full of joy tonight.

Because this shelter is 90 minutes from my house, I feel badly that I don't have rescue pictures for you tonight. It's just too far away to buzz over and snap pictures. Two other dedicated volunteers picked up the cats and drove them to the vets. I'm picking them up from the vets tonight and meeting SIX excited foster parents at a Wendy's parking lot in Toronto. MMmm....maybe I'll bring my camera :)

When Jenn (a rescue volunteer) went to the "Hell Shelter" this morning, 4 new cats were already there, already sitting in their own poop, with no food and no water. These cats were brought in as strays, so they have to sit there in their own filth for 5 days until they're permitted to go. There are 3 others that can leave the shelter now.

I'm going back to this shelter on Thursday or Friday to rescue and take a video and more detailed pictures of this place. I heard something today about this shelter that made my skin crawl. I'm going to need some help with this, as I'm not sure what to do with this information.

More tomorrow....

In the meantime? Sleep well knowing y'all rock my world! Thank you for your care, love and support for these precious little felines. :)

Desperate Plea

I think most people who meet me would agree that with regards to cat rescue, I'm a fairly brave person. Rarely do things shock me anymore. But today, I feel like my soul has really been touched and I can't undo what I've seen. Sounds pretty ominous, eh?

I had heard of an Animal Control in the rural area of Woodstock over the past few weeks. I haven't paid much attention, because I concentrate on another high volume shelter. But I couldn't ignore what I heard and decided to see for myself.

Some may think I'm being dramatic, and I'll try to be as honest with my descriptions as I can. The pictures that follow are not my pictures. Believe me - they don't show all of it.

There is room for approximately 30 cats at this "shelter". There are no cages. Cats are kept in ancient cat carriers that have rusted fronts.

There are two employees that rotate shifts and are on call 24 hours per day. They do what they can. It can't be an easy job.

The carriers are stacked on metal shelves and are cleaned every 2 or 3 days. They are filthy and at 1 pm today, nobody had been fed yet or had water. Again - the employees do what they can. If there's an emergency and they have to leave, the cats don't get fed.

There are flies everywhere. My clothes smell bad after being there for 30 minutes. These cats don't have names or cage cards. I've never felt such intense hopelessness and desperation. (From both me and the cats)

We rescued 20 cats and kittens from this place today. Imagine my horror when I realized that we left 4 cats behind. The vet will come in tomorrow at 8:30 am and kill those that remain.

There is a brown tabby/white boy, young orange boy, a black and white female, and a long haired grey and white male left. They're wonderful and adoptable. There's no putting cats on hold like at the other shelter.

I'm begging for help for the remaining four cats. I've never done that, have I? Honestly, I don't think I've ever felt so desperate before.

The cats you see in these pictures have been rescued. I wish I had pictures of the remaining 4.

Never fear. I haven't forgotten about the other shelter where I rescue. Somehow that place seems like a Four Seasons compared to what I saw today.

If you can help one or more of the 4 remaining cats, please email me right away. Did I mention that I'm begging?

Abracadabra!

There are some days when I don't feel like writing. Sometimes it's a lack of energy and sometimes my day was so ridiculously crummy, that I don't want to spew a bunch of garbage for everybody else to read. Yesterday? It was both. Blech!

You know the day was bad, when I was feeling too crappy to talk about a wonderful rescue and meeting a delightful new foster Mom:

I posted "Prissy" as urgent on the site, because she was the sweetest little angel I think I'd ever seen. She came into the shelter with a upper respiratory infection, and as soon as she saw me, she'd flop over on her back like the big cats do. It turns out, Prissy weighs 14 ounces, and was the size of a 4 week old kitten. But she could do all the things that an 8 week old kitten could do. She was jumping on my hands, her ears were up and pointy, and she was very advanced. Prissy had the eyes of a little calico alien. I could only surmise she was probably the runt of the litter.

When I met Christine who would be fostering her, it was love at first sight. Like me, Christine was completely enamoured with this angel without wings. It's going to be fun to watch this little sweetness grow and blossom.

Have you ever seen me write so many adjectives about one tiny kitten? Holy Moly. :)

As I was turning to leave the shelter with Prissy, I gave a quick glance to this blue-eyed little man:He blinked his baby blues at me and slowly put a paw up to the cage door. I couldn't leave him behind. I snatched him up and kissed his pink nose softly. I called Michelle from the road and she happily met me to take him home. I didn't even have to sound pitiful! Bonus!!!

I think we have the best foster parents - ever!

I'm VERY VERY happy to report that Petrie, the little tortie that I wrote about on Tuesday has been rescued. Debbie, from another rescue saw my plea for her on this blog, and rescued her, along with 3 others today. (Many thanks to Kathleen who arranged this long drive for me so I could have a day off.)

I walked around Home Sense today and was tempted to buy a new Autumn wreath for my front door. Maybe if I hung the wreath now, wave my arms and say, "Abracadabra!" it'll be Autumn and kitten season will be over.

We can dream, right?

"Ian" and Alison

Last weekend, I was contacted by a very kind woman named Alison about rescuing a little grey tabby named "Ian" who was to be euthanized on Monday morning at the shelter:

I drove all the way out to the shelter on Sunday afternoon to take Ian off the euthanasia list and happily picked him up on Monday morning.

When I picked up Ian, I was immediately taken back by the lack of...um.."hangy-downys". Ian was a GIRL. I really panicked, because this can often be a deal breaker for an adopter. Alison really had wanted a male cat and was already adopting Ian on my say-so.

I called Alison from the shelter. She graciously agreed to give little girl Ian a home. I cried with relief!

But the story doesn't end here....

My wonderful vet called me the next day to tell me Ian was pregnant. I was astounded! How could that be? The vet tech at the shelter examined her and didn't feel kittens! The vet was very confident that there were 4 kittens and it was too late to spay her.

Once again, I made "the call" to Alison. Understandably, Alison was overwhelmed with the thought of having a pregnant Mom in the house. She's a single parent with other pets and a full time job. She just wanted to save a little MALE cat from the shelter. There was a pause in the conversation and I could hear her now in tears..."I don't believe in coincidences - we want her. Beth, would you help me?"

Needless to say, Alison is my hero tonight and Ian has a new FOREVER home. She spent the afternoon in my washroom and I wanted to show the world what a beautiful little girl has the start of a new life today:

Tough Tuesday

Today was picture taking day at the shelter. At first, when I walked the cages I thought I had missed a ton of cats last time I was there. But that wasn't the case. These cats were ALL new arrivals. Shit, people must've been lined up out the door yesterday to dump their cats.

One little girl was left there because "the roommate was allergic." Seriously?

I think she knows she was discarded like garbage and obviously less important than a roommate:There was a note from the prior owner saying what kind of food she likes. Her name is "Petrie". I wonder if ANYBODY from the shelter bothered to tell this idiot that NOBODY CARES what kind of food she eats. She's starting her "last meals" for the next 3 days unless somebody rescues her. She's already spayed and seems so sweet.

Taking the pictures at the shelter makes me feel extra bitter sometimes because I have to deal with each cat. I have to read each cage card. Sometimes the cat is ill or feral and I don't take their picture because there's no chance they will make it out. It leaves me feeling terribly guilty that I didn't give them a chance like the others.

On a happier note, I managed to rescue two REALLY cute kittens today. If you follow the shelter website, they're known as Turtle and Marshmallow. I put them in a cage together yesterday since they seemed lonely in a cage by themselves:


Once again, I'm sorry for the downer blog post. I realize I'm preaching to the choir, but who else can I share this stuff with?

Do you think the woman that dumped her cat because her roommate was allergic cares?

What's a "Moderate Rescue"?

It was supposed to be a moderate rescue today. "Moderate" is an operative word I thought of when I realized I had NO clue exactly how many I would rescue today until I actually got to the shelter. So much of whom I rescue has to do with illness at the shelter and specific cats requested.

It was VERY exciting when I did the math, that we rescued 13 cats in total today! Some of the cats rescued were not on the website yet, but here are some of the sweethearts that are now safe and sound. Hope I picked some of your favourites:

I was chuckling to myself as I thought about all the in's and out's of rescuing 13 cats. My friend and fellow rescuer Kathleen was with me today for help and support, or I think I would've pulled my hair out. It would be a miracle if all that was involved was to throw 13 cats into carriers and leave. It never turns out that way, and y'all would think I was nuts if I actually listed what's involved.

My day isn't over yet. I still have to drive into the city tonight to take a very cute grey tabby to his new Mommy tonight. We had a bit of a surprise to find out HE is actually a SHE.

Ah, yet another little kink in my "moderate rescue" - C'est la vie!

A Friday Rescue, A Moment of Insanity and a Tan Dog

I went to the shelter today with the intent of taking pictures for the Petfinder site. It's pretty sad over there and even sadder now that Kim has taken a leave of absence. Fortunately, I was able to combine meeting a foster Mom who was looking for an adult female to foster. LOVE those kind of requests!

After walking the cages, Laurie chose a very sweet little girl named "Patches":

Patches had been at the shelter since June, and originally abandoned in an apartment. I can't imagine moving away and leaving my cat behind in an empty apartment. I just can't imagine it.

I had a very nice sounding adopter coming this afternoon to meet my Clementine or Doodle, so as I walked the cages this morning I had (another) moment of insanity and brought home this little guy:

Since my life hasn't been playing out very smoothly lately, it shouldn't have surprised me when the adopter spent 2 hours at my house and didn't adopt a cat! So I'm back to having 4 foster tabbies. Surely, I've lost my mind. It's a "Tabby Infestation" at my house! Even *I* am having trouble figuring out who is whom.

I'm grateful for a cool Friday evening and a romantic Jazz Festival in town tonight. First, my little Maggie needs a walk. I took the following video of her last week to send to my parents. Thought you might enjoy it too. The older she gets (she's 13 years old), the more I treasure the ground this little tan dog walks on:

(Yes, I know about the wound on her neck..it's healing, don't worry!)

Happy Friday!!!!

"Toby"

It's been three weeks since I posted about Toby and the case of mistaken identity when I accidently rescued the wrong cat. Lucky for the "wrong cat", but poor Toby had to remain at the shelter for THREE more weeks until rescue:

Well...today is Toby's rescue day after a whopping 5 weeks in a stifling hot shelter. As you'll see in the video, he's a pretty happy guy in my guestroom washroom this afternoon:

Toby's happy and I'm happy too. You're welcome, little Toby. :)

Pink Lotion

By 9:30 this morning I was out the door for a self-proclaimed "Day of Beauty". My hair has been cut and coloured and my nails look faaabulous. The "Day of Beauty" was only 2 hours, but it was a luxury that was truly a necessity. As the pink lotion was rubbed into my hands and feet, I let my troubles ooze away. What is it about the pink lotion that allows me to feel like nothing matters but that moment. Maybe that's the key - I'm living in the moment.

When I returned, my email Inbox said 73 new emails, but I certainly felt more equipped to handle them.

It's been a strange couple of days. The rescue has had SIX cats returned in two days. Three bonded pairs. Since I handle these post adoption problems and returns for the rescue, I was worried that my usual understanding and diplomacy might be a little..um.."off", as I was dealing with my own sack of rocks.

I held my breath when there was a voicemail message from one of our adoption coordinators for my "Parker". Somebody is interested in meeting him. They haven't called me yet, but I'm trying not to fret over it. He's being treated for an eye infection, and I'm sort of hoping they choose somebody else to adopt. (ack!)

Put under the title of "Guilt Free Zone", I received the following picture from Owen's foster Mom:

Owen and his new best friend Cliffie LOVE each other and have become instant friends. I couldn't be happier and I sure needed some good news. :)

I wonder what's REALLY in that little bottle of pink lotion?

Digging Deep

I wish I had something inspiring to write about this afternoon. I went to the shelter this afternoon and rescued a ridiculously cute Siamese named "Lloyd". How I LOVE that name for a Siamese cat. After all the "Suki's", "Sushi's" and "Miso's" around, I've been completely enamoured with the name Lloyd:Lloyd is a blue-eyed love-sponge and I sort of wish I was going to foster him myself. I've never fostered a Siamese for any length of time and am really smitten with this guy. No wonder people who have a Siamese cat, always have more than one Siamese cat.

I came home from the shelter to emails from former adopters who want to surrender their cats back to the rescue due to a variety of lame reasons. Maybe I'm not being sympathetic to people who make poor decisions for themselves and feel that the world owes them a favour now.

My youngest son has been very, very sick and that has weighed heavily on my life lately. I know I haven't been dealing with the usual life challenges in the usual way. My anger is easily spiked and tears are never far behind. Funny how I'm reading some of the other rescue blogs from around the country and am finding everybody seems a little pissed off too.

I'm missing my life that's usually full of joy. I'm sure it's there somewhere, but I'll have to dig a little deeper to find it.

Maybe I need a little "Lloyd" kissing time....that'll fix me up JUST FINE :)