Newsy Monday

The "Rollercoaster Ride of Rescue" has certainly lived up to it's name this weekend!  My little Doodle was adopted and returned, and my Clementine was adopted into a wonderful home yesterday!  The couple was really lovely and Clementine seemed quite happy to go with them.  I've always thought that because Clementine was extra sweet, she was often overlooked by the rest of the family because the rowdy ones took so much attention. 

It didn't take long for the first post-adoption picture to arrive - Clementine seems quite happy to be modeling for Moosehead beer:  (LOL)

She sure looks happy, doesn't she?  I think this picture was only taken a few hours after her arrival.

My other little guy "Winkle" is settling in beautifully in his new foster home too:

When we rescue cats, we often don't know how they'll react to a dog  - but I think Winkle and Parker are becoming friends...don't you think?

So today marks the last day of my first month in "business" as Forever Home Cat Rescue.  We officially have 22 foster homes, and have had 22 adoptions in January!  (Weird, eh?)  Not all the adoptions collected an adoption fee.  There were 6 adoptions that were direct from the shelter.  I don't ask for an adoption fee for adoptions that never came into our program. 

I had to laugh, because I did a mini-Profit and Loss statement on the rescue and discovered that this month's vet bills were within $20.00 of the adoption fees.  Thank heavens for the donations that came in or I'd be in a jam, since some of the vets haven't billed me yet.  

The weekend was painfully slow and I have no idea why.  I wonder if the other rescues were slow?  Today we've had a few adoption calls and two foster applications pending, so maybe the week will be better.  With a small rescue, there never seems to be any consistency from day to day.  I seem to be getting into a routine with things and God knows I love routine. 

We have a Facebook page up and running too!  When you find us, please "Like" us!  (Thank you Brandon for managing the page)  :) 

It felt weird not being at the shelter today.  I have available foster space, but the right "fit" for these homes hasn't come in yet.  I hate not rescuing on Monday.  I've felt "off" all day today because of it.  Again, maybe the Monday rescues are too much part of my routine? Bah!!...enough of my post-menopausal whining.

Cheers to a January that exceeded my expectations.  Thank you all for helping me making it happen!!! 

The Return

After all the congratulations about Doodle's adoption on Friday, I have to disclose that he was returned 12 hours later.  It wasn't really Doodle's fault (spoken like a proud foster Mom) - he just didn't really like the resident cat - which surprised me, because "The Bug" likes everybody!!! 

What I didn't say in Friday's post, is that these people were truly perfect adopters.  The kind of adopters that I wish every cat could have.  Married couple with one cat - looking for a friend for their cat.  The first night, they wanted Doodle to feel welcome and their own cat "Darius" to not feel too put out, so the wife slept in the marital bed with Darius, and  the husband snuggled with Doodle in the guest room.  (insert "Awwwww!" here)  Love these  people!  Honestly, I think this was my first return - EVER.  I do a really good job at matchmaking my own foster cats, so was really surprised that this happened.

With every adoption that involves another resident cat in the house, I go through all the typical challenges that might come up - stalking, hissing, growling, etc.  I also tell them that there are "Deal Breakers" - major combat fighting, or pee'ing inappropriately.  Their cat was SOOOO unhappy about Doodle's presence, he pee'd on the carpet.  These people were pretty upset and I didn't want Doodle to be there where he wasn't wanted. 

Could I have suggested more time?  Sure.  But why bother?  Their cat was pee'ing on the carpet, Doodle was swiping and snarling at him.  (I've never heard Doodle hiss!!) 

At 3:30 today, a different adopter is coming to meet my little "Clementine".  Let's hope things go better for her.  I'm not as bonded with Clementine, although I love her dearly - she's been no trouble and has been the perfect little houseguest.  Why do I only bond with the really bad ones?  :)

Update on Clementine later....let's hope my heart holds up!

The Adoption Call

I've been doing rescue for a zillion years, but when it comes to a stranger adopting one of my own foster cats, I'm no different than the newest foster parent.  A very nice couple are coming to meet my little "Doodle" tonight.  I'm still fostering Doodle with the rescue I  left last year, because I wanted to see the adoption through.  Tonight, might be the night. 

I have knots in my stomach and I am overwhelmed with guilt everytime I look at him.  Problem is - I've had him a little too long and now I'm going to get hurt when he leaves.  The couple sounds awesome - they have an 8 month old cat that needs a friend!  They sound great...but I still feel crummy. 

Maybe they won't like him.  I took this video of  Doodle and Clementine - my two fosters - who could not want them??



So now I wait.....7:30 will be here soon enough.  I'll post an update here after they leave tonight.

(Update 9:00 pm Friday evening:  Doodle has gone to his forever home.  Honestly, I couldn't have asked for nicer people.  Doodle *knew*.  He greeted them by falling out on the floor belly up when they arrived at the front door.  I've never seen him do that before!  He wouldn't leave them alone.  They were in love and I think the feeling was mutual.  I'll miss him...but I feel peaceful and happy.)

What Goes Up....Must Come Down

I've been flying high these past few weeks, so I knew it was only a matter of time before reality set in.   Sick cats, vet bills, and lack of time seem to be in order this week.  I'm definitely OK and was expecting this transition.  But I was hoping ...  :)

Fortunately, there have been few bad surprises, and I'm managing quite well despite it all.  QuickBooks scares me more than the vet bills.  I have one cat costing about $1000.00, and thanks to QuickBooks I know the nitty gritty of it all.  Ignorance CAN be bliss sometimes.

I was at the shelter this afternoon with 3 foster parents.  It's hard to watch foster parents agonizing which cats to take.  There has been some cats with Calici virus, so I wasn't much help as I worried about the ongoing vet bills.  Sad thing is - worrying about vet bills probably will never go away.  I don't think there is a private rescue in Canada that doesn't worry about vet bills.  I could buy lottery tickets....nah.

Soooooooo....here I am whining about vet bills, but we still rescued "Jerry" today:

Jerry was brought into the shelter after his finder saw him being flung out of a car window on the highway.  Jerry is limping, but I'm hopeful that it's a strain and not a fracture. 

Should I buy that lottery ticket now or later?  Hahaha :)

One Person Doing One Thing...

From My Inbox this morning - posted with permission:

"Hi Beth,

I'm not sure how I stumbled across your blog, "House of the Discarded". I live in NJ, so am nowhere near Canada. But, I have to tell you it's been a blessing in disguise. I spent MANY hours one night looking at your blog. each story tearing at my heart strings.

I recently put down a deposit on a kitten with a breeder. But, because of your blog, I headed to our local shelter to rescue a cat that is past it's "desireable" kitten age and needs help. I ended up taking home a long haired 7 year old black and white girl who was dumped in a carrier outside of the shelter over the summer on one of the hottest days we had. To make it more appalling, the shelter was open. After 6 years together, her "owner" couldn't give her the respect and dignity to walk her into the shelter and surrender her Instead, they left a long haired cat COVERED in matts, and so badly matted and filthy by her behind that the shelter said hadn't been tended to in months. Oh, and a note with her name (it's been changed to symbolize her new life) and age and an empyy, cage with not even a blanket to rest on.

I also took home two seniors. this was unplanned. 20 years old. their owner died, and the owners daughter who grew up with these cats couldn't be bothered with them. brought them to a shelter because she couldn't bring herself to euthanize them at the vet. and figured if the decision was out of her hands (ie, they not get adopted) then she had at least "tried" to help them because she dumped them at a shelter where they had a chance to be adopted. So today, they sit in my spare room warm, fed, safe, and loved. That's where they will stay until they are ready to cross the bridge.

Thank you Beth for everything you have done and are doing."

My Reply:

"Dear J***,

 I must've read your email 5 times before responding. I was sitting here this morning feeling a little sorry for myself - two sick cats in the program, plus working on the rescue's bookkeeping made for a very pathetic little day.

 Thank you for reminding me why I do this important work. I can't tell you how much it meant to me that you went to the shelter to adopt. You must've been quite a hero to the staff to take home the 20 year old pair! What a victory for them!!

 May I have permission to post your email in my blog? I won't use your name. It would mean a lot.

 Thank you again for writing. NJ isn't that far away, and it's nice to hear from a fellow American! I think I should print your email and keep it nearby when I'm feeling sorry for myself. Thank you again for taking the time and loving those kitties....(would love to see pictures!)"

 Beth
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Next time you think that you're not making a difference...remember - you never know whose life you're changing. 

Monday Newsy Stuff

It was a smaller rescue day than I thought it would be.  It seems to make more sense for me to make smaller rescue trips than trying to take out 10 cats and organize foster parents.  Simplify! Simplify!

One of our foster Moms went to the shelter over the weekend and had some tough choices but took home "Angelo".  (I laughed out loud when I heard that she's thinking about renaming him "Big Tony"!  LOVED IT!)

Two of our foster Moms also went to the shelter and rescued a very petite calico named "Cozette":

They came home talking about another very handsome guy named "Swiggles", so I went back to the shelter today and rescued him:

He's such a lovely boy!  Where has he been all this time??  I hated that I overlooked this guy for the past few weeks. 

I also rescued "Leonard":

Leonard had a feral look about him in the picture, so I was hesitant to rescue him without assessing him first....silly me...I'll let you be the judge:



How CUTE is this guy?????? I'm in love. :)

As I type this blog post, I had some very sad news about the death of one of my cat adoptions direct from the shelter.  "Dexter" was very loved and we still don't really know what happened.  It sounds like it was complications from a simple Upper Respiratory Infection.  My heart hurt for his new Mommy.  She fought hard for him, and I'm so grateful to her. 

Hearing about this death makes me realize how fragile everything is as I rescue so often.  I'm frightened and pray for the cats in my care and foster parents who love them. 

We had 3 adoptions over the weekend, which I found SO exciting for my little rescue.  In fact, one of them was a 20+ pound girl named Misty!  I thought we might have her for a while.  You never know who somebody will fall in love with, eh? 

Ahhh...so much to say, and so much more than anybody wants to read!  Happy Monday, all....

Being Optimistic

I don't know where to begin this blog post!  I've had so many wonderful things happen that I've been on Cloud 9 for two days.  Lots of adoptions, rescues and dealings with awesome people.  I keep waiting for that "Rescue Emotional Rollercoaster" to bottom out, but it doesn't seem to.  I remain completely happy and content about this rescue and it only seems to be getting better.

Remember Newton? This video from his new foster Mom speaks volumes (not to mention that it made me cry!)


I was telling Kim at the shelter that's it's strange that I rarely cry from sad stuff at the shelter, but have a tendency to cry over happy things - like this happy video of Newton.

I rescued Winkle this morning. What a sweet boy...so patient waiting for his rescue day. 

Yes, I sound a bit too optimistic right now.  I wish every day could be like this.  Thanks to the donations I've received, I have enough money to pay my vet bill this month.  My only area of procrastination is one of the most important and that is setting up my proper bookkeeping accounts.  I know how to do it...I just hate it and I'm sitting here on mounds of receipts waiting to go into QuikBooks.  God help me.  I've have found something more important to do each time I sit at the computer to work on it....like "blogging" for instance.  Hahha.  "I think the dishwasher needs to be emptied."

I'm moving forward with great excitement.  The emails I've received from the readers of this blog have really kept me going and positive.  I've had a few "head banging on the desk" moments, but they've been very few and far between.  It ticks me off that I still feel so scared, but it's only week 3 of the rescue's infancy. 

Thank you all so much for taking this walk with me and holding my hand.  You have NO idea how much it's meant to me during moments of complete insecurity.

Newton's Day!

In conjunction with my latest "miracles DO come true", I'm thrilled to pieces to announce that a wonderful foster home stepped forward and offered to take our buddy "Newton":



Some days I walk into the shelter and I feel like such a loser, "I'm only taking one....what about the rest?"  Today wasn't one of those days.  Today, I felt like a hero when I walked in.  Three staff members at different times approached me and asked, "Are you taking the grey and white guy?"  "You know he's been very sad and having a difficult time in the cage..."  "YAY!  You're taking the grey and white guy!" 

Funny.  Some days I leave with 5+ cats and nobody says a word.  But today it was all about Newton!  Thank you Stacey for coming forward and giving this guy a home.

Recently, I've had several people ask me if I make a living doing a cat rescue.  Imagine!!  When I told them that I volunteer...oy...the LOOKS. 

I called the Charities Directorate today.  They must know me by a first name basis now.  No, I don't have my charitable number, HOWEVER....since I'll be receiving my charity number in 2011, I can accept donations NOW  in 2011 and give tax receipts once my number comes in.  This was GREAT news for me and I was wondering why nobody mentioned that little tidbit during the millionth whiny call that I made to them. 

Despite the ice on the roads, it was a banner rescue day for Newton.  It's not that Newton is "that important", he's just one little guy that had been there since mid-October. 

Heck....they're all "that important".

Taking Care of Business (Still)

Maybe it's just the dark gloomy day today, but I'm finding myself completely exhausted and it's only 3 pm!  I've been doing a lot of driving lately and that can certainly add to the tired-factor.  I was back to the shelter, back to the vets, to a foster home, at the grocery store - all this by noon.  I was grateful that the timing worked out so that I didn't have to be at the vets twice today! (Which I had planned to do)

Funny, how I do a good job with reaching out and asking for help for the cats, but when I ask for help for myself, I always feel a good dose of guilt.  Maybe it's just part of my "mother training."

I went back to the shelter today with the task of rescuing an already neutered male ORANGE cat that gets along with other cats.  (Emphasis on "Orange".)  I tested out two different cute orange guys, but sadly they were pretty upset when given a chance to meet another cat.  I hate it when they sabatoge their own rescue.  Maybe I didn't give them enough time, but I didn't have a Plan B in the event they didn't work out in their foster home.  So I rescued "Gwen":

I immediately renamed her "Buttercup".  Buttercup is a petite angel that had already been spayed and microchipped.  She had been at the shelter since November 15th, so I was really happy to have rescued her.  She's not exactly "orange", but there's no shortage of cuteness!  She's upstairs in my washroom until I can move her to her foster home tonight. 

I don't want to jinx it, but I've had an inquiry on Newton! Is it possible he'll get out of the shelter? I'm going to talk with her tonight and am very excited about the possibilities.  Stay tuned...

Last night, David jokingly announced that if I don't do a load of laundry tonight he'll be forced to wear MY underwear.  (I'd like to see him try.)  It's only Tuesday...how could I really be THAT busy?  I went to the hamper today and counted and realized that I hadn't washed David's stuff in TWO weeks?  Poor guy.  He never complains. 

I wonder what else I've been neglecting?  (Note to self:  Turn off computer at 8 pm tonight) 

A Day of Little Miracles

When you're involved with animal rescue, it's easy to become so tangled within it,  that the unexpected rescues, unexpected adoptions, and a car accident that didn't amount to anything seem like nothing more than pure luck.  But if you look closely, you realize it's not just coincidence, but that you've witnessed one (or more) of life's little miracles. 

This morning, I received a phone call from a lovely woman in Guelph who came forward to adopt the 16 year old calico sisters that were so callously abandoned at the Humane Society.  I'm in awe of people's generosity.  I didn't get the end result of this phone call, but I DO know that these little old ladies are safe tonight.

Today, I went to the shelter to rescue "Harley" only to receive a phone call from Debbie at Forgotten Ones Rescue who asked me to pick up the pair of TWELVE YEAR OLD calico sisters for her rescue:

THEN...to my surprise, she asked about "Harley"!  Funny thing, I had already put Harley into a carrier and was going to rescue her myself. 

But allowing another rescue to take her meant that I could rescue ANOTHER cat...or two... :)  So I drove the three calicos to Toronto to meet up with Debbie.  Her car was filled with her own calico-lovefest! 

I ended up rescuing two darling cats for one foster home.  (Pictures to come later.)

On my way to the vets with 5 cats in the car I was rear-ended by an elderly man in a '72 Cadillac.  The front of his car was mildly mangled.  I held my breath as I walked around the back of my car to look.  To my surprise, there was NO damage.  I was so grateful.  What could've happened is frightening.

It was truly a day of little miracles, so I'm going to ask for one more.  It's about "Newton".  Please watch the video below - Newton needs a miracle - now.


Just one more miracle....a little one...please?

Updates and an URGENT Plea!

I've surprised myself that I'm not as stressed as I thought I'd be since I launched the rescue on the 3rd.  Maybe I've become more relaxed in my old age and confident in my decision making.  I've made some very difficult situations this week that a few years ago would've put me into a tail spin.  I'm not saying that they didn't hurt - but I felt at peace.

Adoptions are moving along beautifully, and I'm receiving a surprising number of phone calls from the recent ad I placed in the newspaper.  It occurred to me this morning that the majority of the people that have called me (as a result of the ad) didn't have a computer or email.  They read the newspaper, saw the ad and called to say, "What kind of cats do you have?"  Loved it!  Several were seniors who didn't get a hoot about technology.  Two of them, I'm sending directly to the shelter to adopt.  They weren't candidates for the cats currently in my care, so am hoping they'll still make a little donation for my effort.

AN URGENT PLEA!!

I received a call from a staff member at Guelph Humane.   Two senior cats were abandoned there when their caregiver could no longer care for them.  According to the staff, they are 16 year old sisters, spayed and declawed:

They're VERY VERY sweet and are in great shape as you can tell by the pictures.  Originally, they were going to be euthanized today at 5 pm, but everybody is in love with the girls and the deadline has been moved THIS Monday.  The staff said they're "chillin'" and not a bit phased by the other cats.

These kind of situations really tear up my heart.  Can anybody give these sweet little girls a retirement home?  I can't imagine what it would be like to be homeless at 80-something years old, and that's exactly what's happened to these sweet sisters.  At least they still have each other. 

If you can help, please contact me directly - don't delay - they don't have much time left.  (TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED!)

"Misty"

I went to the shelter today to pick out a cat for Helen, one of my newest foster parents.  I hate when I can choose "anybody", because I have to greet each cat at the shelter, and they all seem so desperate worthy.

I stopped suddenly when I saw "Misty":

She had been abandoned at the shelter when her owner passed away suddenly.  Misty had lost everything.  The only thing Misty had left was a collar with a purple heart that says "Misty" with a phone number that is no longer in service.  Somebody loved this full figured girl.

I'm always so teary-eyed when a cat like Misty is rescued.  Her gratitude was overwhelming and I could hear her purring from outside the door.  I put her in my son's old room where there was only a box spring left and a few empty boxes - remnants that a teenager once lived in the room.  I hadn't gotten around to cleaning it yet,  but the sun was streaming through the windows and she seemed very happy with the quilts I put over the top of the box spring. 

If this isn't gratitude, I don't know what is:



Tomorrow, she's going to Helen's house and be spoiled rotten.  You're welcome, Misty.  You're very welcome.  :)

Busier Than I Wanna Be

I've been a lot busier than I want to be today.  I know some days are like that, but I've really felt pulled in so many different directions that I'm finding I have to make choices on what I can do and what I can't do each day.

I found myself short on time today and wasn't able to meet an adopter at the shelter.  I hate that!  Fortunately, a rescue-friendly staff member at the shelter was able to help.  (Thanks, Tiff!)  Thanks to her, Bronson was able to find a new home today:

I spent part of the day working on admin stuff.  Staying organized is easier than I thought - "Thank you, Google Docs"!   At my own expense, I decided to put a 9 day advertisement in 5 local newspapers just to introduce the rescue.  It wasn't expensive, but I'm hopeful it will continue to generate some more interest.

Thankfully, adoption calls keep coming in!  At least I know folks are looking at the website and there's been interest. 

I was able to make a small bank deposit today with adoption fees that recently came in.  I know, it's a small thing to be excited about, but seeing the cheques made out to "Forever Home Cat Rescue" was really exciting!  Yes, for a moment I actually considered taking a picture of one of the cheques and framing it.  :)

Due to the busy calendar, over the weekend I actually went to Walmart and bought a new Crock-Pot so that if all else fails - there WILL be dinner on the table!  Many years ago (in my first marriage) I was the kind of bride that threw flour on her face to look busy and exhausted when my husband walked through the door after work.  Today, (and husband #2)  I have no qualms about picking the cat hair off my sweater and saying, "We're going to Swiss Chalet.  Be happy."  (To my American Friends:  "Swiss Chalet is a cheap, chicken place)

On a VERY happy note:  I received a call from Helen last night.  She said after "Lane" had passed away she had spent quite a bit of time reading this blog and decided that she could be of FAR more help saving lives as a foster parent than just adopting.  SOOO.....Helen is going to be Foster Parent #21!  I'm going to the shelter tomorrow to rescue somebody special for her.   I couldn't help but think that "Lane" really and truly didn't die in vain - with his death, brought a new foster Mom to help more cats. 

Wow...reading back on this blog post, I'm truly all over the place with it.  But it certainly fits the days I've been having lately. 

More of the Emotional Rollercoaster

My Monday posts are becoming so "newsy".  There never seems to be just one topic any more.  I felt badly about Friday's post regarding Helen and Lane.  Two of my friends had their senior cats put to sleep on Friday, so it was bad timing for a sad blog post.  I tried to warn them "Don't read the blog today!!!" But it was too late. 

So hop on the emotional rollercoaster with me, because I have good news and bad news today.

Our rescue had it's first "casualty of war" today.  I received a call on Sunday from a foster Mom who was frantic as a kitten that was rescued 3 weeks ago was failing.  Thank heavens Dr. S made an emergency Sunday appointment for this little man.  I authorized "Alfie's euthanasia this morning when Dr. S told me he was suffering.  It's unknown what he died from, but we're now on "death watch" for the other kitten in the care.  Shit, I hate this part of rescue.

I don't use the term "casualty of war" lightly.  I really feel as an animal rescuer, I'm constantly at war with the people who abandon them or fail to get their cats spayed or neutered.  It hurts to think we lost a kitten so soon, but this really and truly is part of animal rescue. 

It was a big adoption weekend for our little rescue.  We had FOUR cats adopted into loving Forever Homes!   The post adoption pictures are already coming in:

I really *have to* bury myself in some happiness today.  Wallowing in sadness about a kitten that couldn't be saved isn't helpful to me because I have to keep going.  There was nothing that could be done that wasn't done.  I hate that a foster parent was hurt. 

I met a really sweet young woman today at the shelter.  She wanted to adopt a kitten under the age of 1 year. (Love that!)  We had been corresponding back and forth and I was thrilled when she chose "Dexter":

While she was looking around I knew Kelsey was getting emotional about all the cats.  Their paws reached out to her for help.  I didn't want to tell her that Dexter had a chance of being euthanized tomorrow.  How could I put pressure on somebody that was already feeling so horrible?  But I was happy when she felt that Dexter would be a good fit for her.  He ran to her and purr'd.  Yay!  :) 

Tomorrow, I'm meeting a single guy at the shelter with two cats of his own.  He sounds great!  It'll be interesting to see who he comes home with tomorrow. 

Looking at my calendar, I don't anticipate a quiet week.  I'm hopeful that it's a good week - *sigh*  I hope it's a good week.  I'm worried about the remaining kitten, but know that he's getting the very best care.  That's all anybody can ask for.

"Thank You, Helen"

"Lane" was brought into the shelter a few days ago missing one eye and his other eye about to fall out.  It was obvious to me that maybe it was a blessing that he arrived into the shelter. 

No doubt Lane would end up blind. 

I didn't think there was much hope for Lane until a lady named "Helen" contacted me.   She currently has a blind cat and wanted to help another.  She saw Lane's picture and thought that he looked like he needed a leg up in this life. 

I told Helen that Lane would require expensive surgery, neutering, and God-knows-what-else.  She didn't care.  She wanted him and could afford the expense.  He somehow felt special to her.  

Helen lives on the other side of the city, so Kathleen kindly volunteer to drive "Lane" from the shelter to a meeting place to meet his new "Mom".  Imagine adopting a blind Tom cat without meeting him first!!  

The meeting went well and Helen immediately took "Lane" to the vets for an exam.  His remaining eye was bulging and he needed immediate pain relief and care. The vet lovingly cared for Lane - giving him pain medication.

The news wasn't good.  Helen left a voicemail tonight that said her vet indicated poor Lane was in the final stages of active Feline Leukemia.  He wasn't a candidate to have his remaining eye removed and he was dying.   Helen's voice cracked as she told me the story over voicemail.  I listened and put my head in my hand.   Helen held Lane and loved him as he passed over to the bridge. 

I realized at that moment that the love Helen showed that sweet Tom cat was probably the only love and care that poor cat had ever experienced in his short life.  Her voicemail went on to say that she changed his name to "Mike" because he had seemed like a fighter. 

"Thank you Helen for giving Mike the only love and kindness he had ever known.  I wish they could all be so fortunate."

Two Days Worth of Updates!

Like many people, I really thrive on routine.  I wake up, make coffee, feed cats, let the dog outside, etc.  So when the hard disk on my computer failed (turns out it wasn't a virus) and I lost ALL my data, I was lost.  In fact, I haven't been able to log onto Facebook because ALL of my passwords were set up on a simple little application called RoboForm! 

I think the worst part was losing my Address Book.  If you've sent me an email over the past 4 days, and you haven't heard back from me - please don't be offended, and resend.

Enough whining from me!  I've been a busy rescue girl the past few days and have rescued five happy cats!  "Forever Home"  is now up to TWENTY foster homes and despite all the computer problems, I'm content and things are moving along as they should.

Yesterday, I met an adopter and a new foster Mom at the shelter.  The senior adopter, left with Meriam a senior cat!  I couldn't have asked for a better match.  Our newest foster Mom left with "Seamus":
 


This video cracks me up.  When the foster Mom picked him up, he just dissolved into her arms.  There was NO WAY she would put Seamus back into that cage.  He was going home with her! 

Today, I rescued a couple of cuties for another new Foster Mom:

 "Hansel" is a happy little guy about 6 months old.  He originally came in with his sister Gretel, but the shelter euthanized her.  :(

Prince fits his name beautifully!  He's a sweetheart.  BOTH cats met the vet clinic's Beagle puppy and seemed very smitten and happy to play with him.  That was certainly a pleasant surprise! 

I've done a huge amount of driving over the past few days.  I think I've been on the road more than I've been at home.  A call came in this afternoon from a lovely sounding woman who was interested in a blind cat currently at the shelter, and is willing to adopt a "senior friend" for him!  She sounds SO incredibly nice.  Fortunately, I was able to corral my friend Kathleen into doing the drive tomorrow.  It's a HUGE victory for an unneutered blind cat and a senior cat to get out of the shelter together.  I'm kind of sorry that I'm not doing the rescue myself. 

I'm proclaiming tomorrow an "Admin Day" and am staying home to reorganize my computer.  David's taking the day off tomorrow, so I'm not sure how much work I'll get done.  Having him home sort of goobers up my plans to drink coffee and work diligently in my robe until noon.

It's been a great few days of rescue.  As I was leaving the shelter this morning lugging heavy cat carriers, I heard a voice come from one of the offices,  "Hey Beth!  Did you sing your rescue song today??"   I had forgotten.  "One should NEVER been too busy to sing the rescue song!"

Chaos and Dog Poop

I wanted to name this blogpost "Chaos" because that's the way it felt this morning. I went to bed last night with a computer virus that wiped out my entire hard disk and woke up to copious amounts of dog poop in the basement. I neglected to put the coffee pot in the holder, so coffee poured over my kitchen counters while I was cleaning the dog poop.

I was almost afraid to get in the car this morning! What could happen next?

Today was a euthanasia day at the shelter, so many of my favourites were gone by the time I arrived. In fact, I had planned on rescuing a little tabby by the name of Ginny, but she too was gone. The empty, dirty cages were a reminder that my day wasn't so bad afterall.

I ended up rescuing a cute little calico by the name of "Allie". I pulled her out of her cage and she licked my face like a little dog.

I melted.

Tomorrow is going to be a wonderful day! I'm meeting an adopter AND a new foster parent to save several fortunate cats from Friday's vet day. I'm also giving a tour of the shelter for a VERY brave Brandon (you read about Brandon yesterday) and his girlfriend Alyssa. They have never been to the shelter and wanted to see for themselves. Personally, I think anybody that volunteers for a rescue should take a tour of the shelter. It really adds credence to the hardwork and dedication that it takes to be an animal rescuer. Of course, not everybody agrees with me. :)

I'm typing this blogpost on "the world's oldest computer". It's not my computer and I'm missing the familiar touch of the keyboard, pictures, and important applications. My own computer is being repaired at some Computer Guru's place of business. Hail to the Computer Guru! I hate to admit that I threw myself against the Guru's counter begging him to repair it quickly. I was certain the world's cat population would be euthanized if I couldn't have my computer back in a timely manner.

Hopefully, my computer will be repaired tomorrow and I might have a few pictures to post here. Until then, the blog is a bit...um...vanilla.

The Launch

I'm pleased to (formally) announce the grand opening of Forever Home Cat Rescue! 

Can you hear me taking a deep breath?  I didn't think this day would actually come, but it's here and I'm so excited! 

To date, we have 19 foster homes and 18 cats in our care.  I'm going to the shelter for another rescue tomorrow, so the numbers always change.  I never dreamed I'd be launching a rescue with NINETEEN foster homes!  I figured I'd be fortunate to have 5 foster homes to start. 

It's my pleasure to launch our new website: Forever Home Cat Rescue .  I cannot take credit for this beautiful website.  Brandon Pal, from Palco Ltd donated his time and expertise to design this website for us.  He's a true cat lover  and has two of the most spoiled little rescued cats you'll ever want to see!  Many hugs and thank you's to Brandon for putting together his valuable time, his knowledge and his love for cats to create this site. 

Please bookmark the site:  http://www.foreverhomecatrescue.com/ and tell me what you think!

(As usual, Petfinder is not up to date, so I'm trying to get them to update the cats and bio's on their site.  They've had some major changes to their system, so I'm trying to be patient.  Typically, "patience" is not a personal strength of mine.  :) Regardless, you'll get the idea.)

Sooooo....it's January 3, 2011 and I'm up and running.  (Literally...running)  I'm excited, grateful, humbled, and scared to death. 

"Until every cat is Forever Home...."