Happy Rescue/Canada Day!

It's the eve of a holiday in Canada today, so I don't expect many Canucks to read my blog post today. 

I went to the shelter with a heavy heart today knowing that I could only rescue ONE fortunate little soul on the night before a euthanasia day.  Yes, the vet will come in on a holiday too.  The shelter wasn't really that full and things looked pretty good for the end of June! 

I quickly rescued "Grommett" - a fluffy grey/white fella that seemed to be depressed and ready to get the hell of the shelter:

  It wasn't until the vet tech brought in THE WORLD'S CUTEST 5 week old kitten with SEVEN toes on her feet that I started to crumble. 

In fact, it wasn't just one kitten, but a litter of 3 fluffy polydactyl kittens that had just arrived.  I got out my foster list and knew there was a foster Mom that would LOVE these little ones.  (Thank you, Renee!)  Thankfully, I didn't have to choose just one, but ended up rescuing 4 little souls.  Oh do I envy the foster Mom who gets to name this little trio!

When I got home, I received an email from another foster Mom who had been interested in "Marci":

Marci came into the shelter with a leg that was dangling.  She just dragged her front right paw around, and didn't seemed too worried about it!  I was worried about rescuing Marci.  Sometimes these things get expensive, and I already rescued the kittens who had been hit by a car and thrown out a car window.  For a young rescue, these things can be financially crippling.

  The foster Mom wanted Marci, but I had already promised to loan the car to my son.  I couldn't go back to the shelter.  Bless her heart, she drove in late afternoon holiday traffic - 2 and a half hours to pick up Marci and save her from euthanasia tomorrow morning.  She quickly took Marci to the vet where she found that Marci had completely severed tendons and ligaments - probably from being hit by a car.  So our Marci is going to become a 3-legged wonder cat. 

Thank you to Marci's foster Mom who cared enough about this ordinary little brown tabby to save her life.  We're ALL grateful to you.

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canucks.  (OK...I'm a wannabe Canuck) 

The Visitor

Great news today!  We were able to rescue the two kittens that I posted about yesterday.  The little guy that was hit by a car, and the one that was thrown out of a car - we've lovingly named him "Grease Monkey".

The other guy that was hit by a car is going to be named "Crash".   We don't know what kind of medical care Crash will need, but he's being examined by the vet as I type this.  Poor little guy. 

We had a crazy day yesterday.  I kept hearing what sounded like a small bird *chirp*.  I couldn't find the source of the noise until I walked into the kitchen and found 4 cats surrounding the oven - their noses pressed to the floor.

Never a good thing. 

I shoo'd everybody away and called my son to help me.  We started to dismantle the bottom of the stove.  No, we didn't know what we were doing, but SOMETHING was freakin' chirping under there and was at the mercy of a house full of predators. 

We took a flashlight and laid flat on the floor.  At first, all we could see was a ba-zillion cat toys that had slid under there over the years.  But then we saw *it* when it blinked.  It was a very frightened little chipmunk. 

"Now what?"

My son and I must've looked like something out of the Three Stooges.  We started dumping out Tupperware bowls, and getting soup spoons to try to scoop up the poor thing.  We had a Tupperware bowl fortress set up in the kitchen!!  Looking back, it's hard to believe we actually thought that would work.  Because as soon as we came at that sweet chipmunk with a spoon, it darted out from under the stove with 4 predators fast behind it.

I'm screaming and trying to scruff cats!   My son is screaming and scruffing cats!  Tupperware bowls are flying all over the place as we run after the little thing who promptly finds temporary solace under our family room couch. 

My son and I look at each other, knowing that we're fast losing control of the situation.  If the chipmunk goes into the basement, we're done.  So in a last ditch move, I open the back door to the backyard.  My son takes the soup spoon and taps on top of the sofa to flush the little guy out.  Like magic, the chipmunk bolts!!

I start screaming again and hold up the doormat to the back door and start waving it like a bullfighter.  I cursed the housekeepers as cat hair flew all over the room as I shook the doormat.  The chipmunk stops dead in his tracks in the middle of the family room.  We look at him.  He looks at us.  I wave the cat hair laden rug as the chipmunk scurries politely outside. 

We shut the door and can't believe what we just saw.

Business as Usual

It was nice to be back to the shelter today to rescue.  I made some tough choices, but it came down to adoptability and who was at most risk for euthanasia tomorrow. The shelter is back to a summer schedule for vet days - Monday, Wednesday and Friday - so my heart hurt as I left there today. 

There are two kittens at the shelter that I desperately need to save.  One was seen being thrown out of a car window - 6 weeks old.  He wasn't injured, but obviously so frightened.  The other 6 week old kitten is this little guy that was actually HIT by a car.  His finder was the one that brought him in:

(Yes, freaky protesters - he received medical attention - do NOT go bizerk and call the Mayor.)  He was treated for a laceration on his paw, but will need some additional medical care after his rescue.  I've been busy trying to find placement for them both.  I couldn't take them today without knowing if I had a spot. 

I also rescued an insanely cute kitten named "Christian":

When I picked him up he licked my hand.  I melted.  Many hugs and thank you's to Tom and Susan who took "just one more".  :)
I also rescued a sweet declawed calico named "Deena":

To give you an idea how frightened they are when they first arrive, you can't really tell how sweet she is by the picture.  I took the following picture in my washroom a few minutes after rescue:

It's sad that I had to consider "fast turnover".  There's a VERY VERY sweet declawed black cat at the shelter that I really wanted to take.  He's been there so long and really wanted to come with me.  ugh. 

This time of year, they all need help.  But I think I have a spot for those kittens...looks like another rescue tomorrow!!

Monday, Monday

I was supposed to go to the shelter today, but needed to take care of my own animals first.  My 13 year old dog Maggie had a sore ear, my 7-toed white boy "The Snow Cat" desperately needed help with one of his freaky nails, and my foster baby Sherman had stopped eating due to a nasty cold.

We came home with an armload of antibiotics, 2 ticked off cats and a geriatric dog that seemed happy for the ride. 

Last week was a rough week. Just when I thought I was going to pull my hair out I was lifted up by some wonderful emails and a fundraiser from my friend Kim at Fuzzy Tales.  Isn't it amazing that somebody that I have never met felt inspired to do a fundraiser for our rescue through her own blog!  In celebration of her cat Derry's birthday, she would donate .40 cents for every comment made on her blog that day!  We ended up with enough of a donation to neuter our next incoming rescue.  Thank you so much!!!!

Adoptions were terrific over the weekend and I'm busy trying to put together all my stats for *almost* month end.   My bank balance has taken a bit of a hit this month due to some sick cats, but that's to be expected this time of year.  The more cats you rescue, the more that need to be vetted.

I've decided not to give the crazy protesters any more fuel for their fire.  The emails that have been coming to me since my last post have been very hostile and threatening.  (With the exception of one comment that showed an inkling of professionalism) We all want the best for the animals, but it's sad to see well-meaning people cross the line and make up stories about the shelter where I rescue.   Creating sensationalism hurts everybody and reduces credibility.  Regardless, I hope their dreams come true - for the cats.

Moving on....

I can only rescue one or two cats tomorrow and hate the idea of walking the aisles tomorrow to figure out the best fit for the foster parents and the rescue.  The many adoptions this weekend didn't really create much foster space.  We're out of Petsmart for July and August, so we had to place the kittens that were in the store in the available foster space.  *juggle* *juggle*

Happy Monday....Cheers to a better week! 
 

An Open Letter

Dear Protesters:

You were at the shelter where I rescue today - about a dozen or so of you.  You had signs and promised to be peaceful.  You weren't peaceful.  You shouted and harrassed employees.  You shouted "SHAME ON YOU!"

Did you know that the employee you shouted at was a janitor trying to do her job? 

Did you know that you did so little research on this shelter, that you staged your demonstration while it was closed?  It was only open for a short while and closed 30 minutes later.

Did you know that you prevented the responsible public from coming in and licencing their pets? 

How many cats did YOU rescue today??   None?  Why not?

Did you ask to take any cats or kittens that were being dropped off?  I didn't think so.  You probably didn't have enough room.  But this shelter always has room. 

Because you were there making a scene in front of people that have NO say-so in what happens at this shelter,  people who wanted to drop off a found pet or litter of kittens, may have dropped them off at the side of the road instead of leaving them in a safe situation.  Because of YOU, there may be a new colony started, or kittens being eaten by coyotes, or starved to death. 

You used my blog to declare that 83 cats died on Friday.  Did you know that there was Distemper in the shelter and these were sick cats?  I didn't think so. 

For those of you who are Canadian Registered Charities, did you know that you put your charity status at risk by going out there and taking a stand politically?  I didn't think so. 

You risked a lot today and didn't gain much.  As an animal rescuer, you did NOT speak for me.  You embarrassed me. 
 

Rough Week

I feel like the world has gone crazy today. 

83 cats died at the shelter today simply because there were not enough homes. 

I received an email from another rescue organization asking for help with cats after a foster parent died.  She had my sympathy until she disclosed that the woman had 20 cats of her own and "the rescue" gave her 8 more to foster.  Insanity! 

What kind of rescue knowingly gives an elderly woman 8 cats to foster when she already has 20 cats?  T.V. shows are made of this kind of stuff.

That isn't rescue.  That's hoarding.  I don't know what the legal limit is in this woman's area, but it's NOT 28 cats.  Poor thing.

Apparently, there's a rally/protest at the shelter where I rescue tomorrow and this woman's rescue is involved.  She should clean up her own backyard before poopin' in somebody else's.  Just sayin'...

Anyway, it's been a shitty week and isn't ending too much better.  Lots going on that isn't making me happy right now.  It's ok...it's part of what I bought into when I started the rescue.  Why it all happens at once is beyond me. 

I'm grateful for every day that I receive reassuring, kind emails.  Our volunteers are so awesome and on weeks like this....I'm trying to remember how blessed I really am. 

Tonight, I'm remembering the unwanted and with the help of our volunteers, do our best to make a difference.

And So It Begins....

If you're looking for an uplifting post today this might not be the one.  With the heat and humidity of the summer also brings the public who (for some reason) think it's acceptable to leave their beloved pets at the shelter - or as they mistakenly call it "The Humane Society". 

Maybe that makes them feel like they're being humane.  But they aren't dropping their cats off at "the humane society." 
 They are leaving their pet at a kill shelter where their pet probably doesn't stand much of a chance of getting out alive this time of year. 

We're rescuing a darling little guy tomorrow.  He's one of the fortunate ones:

I can *feel* it in the air.  Adoptions have come to a grinding halt, or they trickle in quietly.  The phone rings with people desperate to "rehome" their cat.  Volunteers are hesitant to take in new foster cats because of pending holidays.  Our adorable kittens get bigger and bigger as adopters seek out the "baby kittens". 

So for two months, we wait as the line is out the door at Animal Services with people carrying unwanted, abandoned and discarded pets:  

As a rescuer who goes into the shelter often, my visits become unbearable.  Bravery turns into gut wrenching pain as I can't help the helpless.  The once empty cages line the hallways of the shelter.  There are too many and I become someone I don't like - rescuing the most adoptable so that more can be saved. 

For the next several months, my visits to the shelter will end with tears and defeat.  The tears will turn into anger at some unsuspecting soul who calls our rescue to "rehome" their cat because they're moving. 

I was at the shelter when Linus' owner left him there on Monday:

My heart breaks seeing this picture. His owner said he couldn't take care of him because he had trouble bending over to scoop out the litterbox.  How do you argue with that?  I walked away from them in the parking lot.   I had hoped they changed their minds.  Silly me.

I feel like I'm spitting in the wind.  Looking forward to September and October already.

 

Summer

With the first day of summer comes the bad news of "too many cats" in the shelter.  Sadly, despite my best efforts yesterday and today, more cats came into the shelter in 90 *minutes* than I took out in two days.

Take a moment and read that last sentence again and let it sink in. 

I rescued 8 more little lives today and I need to remember that I made a difference to them.  Here are a few of the faces that I managed to take off the shelter website that are now safe:

When I was at the vets office yesterday I ran into a really nice Mother and teenage daughter team.  (LOVE mother/teenage daughter teams!) They were smitten with the kittens that I rescued and of course I gave them my "fostering is great" speech.  They were picking their newly spayed cat.  (Always a good sign)  As I was leaving, they waved goodbye and said, "Thank goodness our cat won't have any more litters!"  "Whaaaat?"  I asked them how that happened, and they said sheepishly..."We planned it.  She's so pretty we wanted her to have a few litters with our friend's cat.  But don't worry - we found them all good homes!"

Without further ado, my "fostering speech" quickly turned into my "Guess how many kittens died at the shelter this morning." speech.  Stupid. Ignorant people.  At least their cat is spayed now.  I hope they don't call me about fostering.  Or maybe I should suck it up and take them to the shelter to see what happens to the kittens that they "made". 

We also rescued an adorable 4 week old dilute calico kitten today.  She was brought into the shelter after somebody saw a woman "dump her in the street."  Nice. 

As I was leaving the shelter, I glanced back at all the little faces that had just arrived and wondered if they would survive. 

The summer is here.  Yippee. 

Feeling....29?

I'm happy to report that the strike that the City workers were faced with never manifested.  Gratefully, they were able to work things out and were back on the job - business as usual.

I'm even HAPPIER to report that I am the proud rescuer of TWENTY-NINE cats today!  I'm not sure what was more surprising - that I rescued 29 cats, or that they all fit in my little car!  I contacted a fellow friend  in rescue: Abbey Cats Adoptions who put a strain on their rescue to take so many.  I called the director from the shelter and walked up and down the aisles with phone in hand.   She started the "rescue juggle" - making deals with herself...."We're having an adoption event soon...cats adopted....foster homes....yada yada yada..."  I knew the drill far too well. 

But gosh.  It felt good to rescue 29 little lives.  Thanks to this rescue, the "vet day" tomorrow will be small. 

It's so nice when two rescues can come together and work for the cats.  Sometimes it doesn't work out so well.  People lose focus and forget what kindness really is.  I don't know why this happens, but it seems to happen more and more frequently. 

Remember what Dylan Thomas said:  "When one burns one's bridges, what a very nice fire it makes."

Ahhh....what an important sentence.  I know a couple of people that should tattoo that on their forehead. 

After a really crummy weekend, I'm terribly stressed today.  Will try to write more tomorrow when I've accomplished something for our own rescue.  Until then, I have lots to do. 

Cats and Picket Lines

At 12:01 a.m. tonight there's a pretty good chance that the staff at Animal Services will go on strike.  Honestly, I know nothing about unions.  I've always been "the man", so unions and strikes are a foreign thing to me.  As I type this blog post at 4:45 pm, the shelter has been closed for 15 minutes.  The staff were told to hand in their keys and expect the strike. 

I don't know why they're striking, but what I do know is that the only person NOT union is the Animal Services Manager.  Is she supposed to clean and feed all the animals by herself?  Animal Services is not set up for volunteers, so I can't help. 

Yes, I'm worried for the animals at the shelter.  God only knows when they'll be fed or cleaned.  I hope they're striking for a good eff'ing reason, because the animals need the staff to be on the job.

I've been warned about the picket lines.  "Beth, will you cross the picket lines to do rescue?" 

"Holy crap...what does THAT mean?  I...I...guess so!  What will happen if I do?"

I guess things can get ugly when you cross a picket line.  I've watched enough movies.  Of course, I'll cross the picket line to do rescue.  I'll put a sign on my chest that says, "Rescue" and God help the people that keep me from going in to the shelter to save the cats.  I don't mean to make myself sound so cavalier, but I don't screw around when it comes to the cats that need to get out of there. 

So what's going to happen?  I don't know.  This post may be a mute point and the strike won't happen. 

I rescued 4 cats today - one being a very handsome orange man named "Eldrick":

I felt very teary-eyed when I left wondering what the fate of all the animals would be if the staff go on strike.  There are some VERY tiny kittens there that need special care.  Who is going to do that?? 

Let's hope for the best and the staff can show up to work tomorrow.  The animals need them there. 

Instead of Going to the Shelter

Maybe I should've gone to the shelter today, but something held me back.  I have some available foster space, but still I didn't go.  We have 2 more weeks left at Petsmart before we're out for a month and I need to be sure we have placement for the kittens who remain there.  It's always a juggling act, isn't it?

Instead of going to the shelter, I found myself at Staples because The Shermin-ator chewed up the wires on my telephone headset.  I'm on the phone so much that I needed a head set in order to keep my neck from getting so sore. 

Instead of going to the shelter, I went to the grocery store to buy some fresh fruit and veggies.  I joined Weight Watchers and I'm trying really hard to do whatever they tell me to do.  My biggest fear of becoming one of *those* cat ladies who has no self esteem or pride in their appearance was coming a little too close to fruition. 

Instead of going to the shelter, I put in a load of laundry and am cleaning out my bedroom closet.  I've got "the cat phone" with me and am answering adoption calls while my head is buried in the closet among the dust bunnies and curious cats who are crawling in there with me.

Instead of going to the shelter, I took my dog Maggie out for a walk on this gorgeous morning.  She seemed a bit puzzled about why she was being taken out in the middle of the day instead of after dinner.  But she didn't argue and I was proud when she pee'd in the yard of the Squirrel-Killing-Animal-Hating-Neighbours.  They sold the house but haven't moved yet.  Maybe just a little pee burn mark....

Instead of going to the shelter, I took off my sandals and have been walking barefoot through the house - enjoying the feeling of the 100+ year old hardwood under my feet.  I emptied the dishwasher and reloaded it again - all before noon! 

Instead of going to the shelter, I *WILL* find where the source of the pee smell is in the basement.  I can smell it - it's somewhere - but where?  I'll crawl on my hands and knees sniffing the corners.  The glamour!

Instead of going to the shelter, I took care of myself for a change.  I feel guilty as hell, but if I don't have days like this from time to time, I'll burn out.   Certainly nothing that I've listed sounds like much fun - no massages, manicures, or clothes shopping.   Just enjoying a day with *me* and my life.

What Will Be....Will Be.

I received the email this morning:  "I can take the Mom and 7 kittens!"  My heart sank.  This morning was a vet day and I knew there was little chance that the sweet orange Mom that gave birth yesterday would still be alive:

Kim wasn't working and my usual contacts at the shelter were unavailable, so I headed out to the shelter with a heavy heart.  I thought about my blog and was going to take a picture of her empty cage.  Sure, that may seem morbid, but people need to be reminded about spaying and neutering. 

I didn't bring my carrier with me into the shelter.  Why bother?  I walked sadly into the back and peered into the cage:



My eyes filled with tears when I saw the cage card still there.  She and her babies were alive!  3 Calicos, 2 Tortoiseshell, and 2 orange and white squirmin' kittens! 

I started to put this video to music, but the sound of relief and tears were unmistakable in my voice.  I decided to leave it.  I have no shame. 

Tonight?  This little family has a chance.  Many thank you's and hugs to the foster Mom who came forward and saved her life today. 

It was meant to be.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Sometimes the only way adopters can get to know a cat or kitten is through a picture and bio.  The picture, the name of the cat and the write up really have to be stellar in order to attract attention to the cat.  I've known adopters that were so certain about adopting a cat just through the picture and write up.  That's how I know I've done a good job.

 To give you an idea, I took this picture of Sherman last week:

He looks cute.  Happy. Relaxed.  Right?  Not a terrible picture, but pretty much "status quo". 

Last night, a foster parent sent me the following picture of "Elizabeth Taylor" her foster kitten:

The picture made me *gasp* - she's so gorgeous!!!   Of the two kittens, don't you think Elizabeth Taylor will get more phone calls?  I'm sure of it!

We all know that each cat or kitten is special.   But I get pictures of cats with their ears back, or in dark shadows, or cowering under a bed.  It's tough to inspire folks to adopt those cats when the picture is bad, and I'm always worried about hurting somebody's feelings by asking for different pictures.

A few years back I received a picture of an adorable foster cat for our website.  In the background was the litterbox.  In the litterbox was a giant uncovered piece of poop dangling off the side of the litterbox!!  No.  I can't use that for the website.  :)  Unless we want to say, "Cat has healthy bowel movements".  Hahahaa!

Good pictures are tough.  Believe me - I'm not making fun of anyone! 

As for today....I went to the shelter and was able to rescue 4 cats.  One little guy came in today with a partially amputated tail.  Poor tail was just dangling there by a thread.  He's going to have surgery tomorrow.  I hope I have the money - I couldn't just leave him there!  He's a 10 week old brown tabby.  Gratefully, he's on pain meds tonight and will have his surgery tomorrow.  I'm sure he'll feel better without that tail.  Yes, I named him "Stubby".  :)

Things are getting busy at the shelter.  It was full and tomorrow will not be a pleasant "vet day" for anyone.  I need more adoptions so I can keep rescuing.  We're getting full too.    

Who Needs a "Title" Anyway?

Organizing an adoption event by myself makes me really appreciate our volunteers.  I've got lots of help coming to the adoption event, but PLANNING it, is another story.  There's hours and hours of planning involved.  Lots of emails, phone calls, photocopying and advertising.  Which cats go into what cage?  Did the foster home remember the health records?   Even the small events take a monumental amount of effort. 

After all the work and money I've put into the adoption event tomorrow, I find that the local humane society put out a FULL PAGE AD in the local newspaper and is offering cats over the age of 3 years FREE and kittens are $50.00.  Yes...$50.00 includes the spay/neuter too.  I wonder what it's like to have the kind of money where you can spay/neuter an eight week old kitten and put it up for adoption for 50 bucks.  

Of course, now I hear that we're supposed to have a big storm tomorrow too.

Bah! 

It's ok.  Whatever happens. Happens.  I'll have bad hair.  I'm here for the volunteers who are going to spend their coveted Saturday with me and the cats.  We'll have a good day regardless of the number of adoptions. 

Besides, I might be prejudiced, but we REALLY have some CUTE kittens.  Certainly they're worth TWICE the adoption fee.  Don't you think? 

Twenty kittens are coming tomorrow....Crazy times!  :)

More on Kitten Season

One of the hardest parts of kitten season is receiving frantic phone calls from loving foster parents that one of their kittens is dying.  Sometimes we can take an educated guess on what's causing it, other times the vet just has no clue.  Nature has a way of dealing with things sometimes.  Most of the time, there is no time to get to the vet.

Today I receiving a phone call from an awesome foster Mom who was losing a kitten.  I knew the poor little mite was quietly dying by the way she described it.  Ah...how I wish I had some magical powers to keep the foster parents from getting hurt.  There's nothing I can do about genetic defects of kittens, but it hurts so much to hear foster parents hurting for the kittens they loved and nurtured.

I keep a spread sheet called "RIP Cats" to track the cats and kittens who pass away.  It's always sad to make an addition to the list.

Despite it all, I went back to the shelter and rescued six kittens today:

The one little kitten in the second picture - Jazz - was a hissy little thing until I put her in with the litter of five above.  She looked SOOOO happy to see them!  "HEY!!  Let's play!!  How are ya? You don't have a Mom either?? What about that shitty shelter!  Can I sniff your butt?"  She was a different kitten right away - Purring, loving and quiet.

I had to pick up a sick kitten from Petsmart this morning.  Poor little "Strawberry"!  She wasn't really bad, but definitely wasn't feeling well enough to entertain the folks at Petsmart. 

I was there just in time to do an adoption on a sweet kitten named "Arizona".  I knew what it meant when I heard the woman call her husband on her cell phone, "She's still hereeeeeee...."  Heck...she didn't even need a French Maid's outfit to convince her husband.  They had lost their last cat to cancer a few weeks ago.  She was so excited to adopt Arizona and felt like it was an omen that she was still there.  I agreed!

We're hosting a HUGE adoption event at Petsmart in Oakville this Saturday.  I'm looking forward to it.  There's always really nice people at these events.  If you're local - spread the word!  Otherwise, send me some good vibes.  Everytime we get an adoption, it means I can save somebody else at the shelter. 

The Shermin-ator

Every once in a while I foster a cat that absolutely exhausts me.  Sherman seems to be one of those cats.  He's 12 weeks old of undeniable cuteness.  But "thars horns under those ears!" 

Last night, I realized that Sherman could figure out how to get INTO the cat den, but couldn't figure out how to use the kitty door to come back into the house.   I went to bed as I always do, but sat straight up in bed around 1 am when I heard thunder and lightening.  "What if the baby is outside in the cat den and can't get in??"

When I didn't find him in the cat den, my imagination went wild.  "He must've found a way out of the cat den!"  I woke up David. 

My youngest son was still up, so we went outside in bare feet, robes and flashlights.  David reluctantly got up and we're all outside shaking a bag of Temptation Treats and tip toeing around dog poop in the grass.  David seems to be the only one with brains in the middle of the night and went back inside and found "The Sherminator"  lounging around in the basement.

 This guy is into everything! I've sent half-finished emails when Sherman stepped on "Enter".  He climbs the screens, and eats bugs. Last night, he jumped on the dinner table, grabbed a piece of something off my son's place and ran with it.

Then today:



Tomorrow I have a painting company coming in to paint the baseboards and hallways in my house.  I tried to warn them about The Sherminator...

...they only smiled and nodded.  They haven't met "The Sherminator".  But they will.  Oh yes, they will.

For the Sake Of the Cats I Love

As always, I'm astounded by the love, care and support I receive when I post something like I did yesterday.  Even though I'm undeserving of such praise, certainly the cats I represent deserve it! 

I've received a couple of anonymous menacing voicemails.  Isn't it amazing that people can put so much effort into ugliness when the same effort could be used for something productive?

That being said, I was back at the shelter today and rescued an adorable kitten and a very sweet adult girl named "Tessa":

Oh how I LOVE to rescue the adult cats!!  With kittens, it's always a party at the shelter.  Most of the time, the kittens miss the cuddling and stimulation, but otherwise they're usually a happy bunch.  But the adults *know* they've lost their home.  

When I sang my little rescue song to Tessa, I held her closely and whispered it in her ear.  Somehow, she didn't get the message that she was safe, because she pooped, pee'd and barfed in her carrier and howled  the ENTIRE way to the vets!  Poor little girl was a MESS by the time we arrived at the vet clinic!!!   Thank goodness the weather was great - I opened the sunroof, windows and we let it all hang out.  I guess to some cats - the cat carrier = vet visit + declawing + shelter.  "Nothing good happens when you're in a cat carrier."  :)

I'm moving forward for the sake of the cats and my rescue that I dearly love.  I've been blogging for more than 3 years and a lot of good has come from it.  I should be surprised that it's taken 3 and a half years for some over-the-top crazies to use it against me.   

As long as there are cats like Tessa who need me...I'm not going anywhere. 

Advocating?

I'm giving serious consideration to deleting my blog.  I've got some well-meaning "advocates" quoting my blog and using information posted there out of context.  They're creating problems for me, for my rescue and the shelter where I rescue.

Being an advocate doesn't mean "Go bizerk - or use technology and the internet to wreck havoc on people's jobs. 

They've been planning a rally in front of the shelter.  Instead of a "Rally", why don't these people go to an eff'ing city counsel meeting?  Take a tour of the shelter?  Talk to the management?   Why not rally IN SUPPORT of an adoption program?  Be in SUPPORT of a spay/neuter program?   Why rally against euthanasia?  (Who LIKES euthanasia?  Duh!!)  Unless they have a better alternative to deal with the number of unadoptable wild-feral cats that come in to this busy city pound - quit yer bitchin'.  Just sayin'.

I don't pretend to like everything about this city pound.  But these women who call themselves "advocates" will not get any support from me.  You aren't advocating.  You are causing trouble.  Smart advocates educate themselves before going off the deep end. I've seen the emails and the petition. Many of the "facts" are incorrect and the rants are unintelligible bullshit. You're leading each other into a feeding frenzy.

Seems like a harsh blog post even for me, but I'm tired of these wannabe advocates using my blog as fuel for their fire. 

Defeated and Angry

I brought my camera with me today when I went to the shelter with hope to take some video or pictures of some of the cats that need help.  I could tell when I walked into the back and saw some of the staff member's faces that it probably wasn't a good "vet day".  The employees who deal with the euthanasia days end up with a defeated, sad look.  How could they not look that way?  

As more cats come into the shelter within the 15 minutes that I was there, I realized that we've definitely hit that shitty part of summer where irresponsible people are dumping their pets or having kittens.  Take a peek on Craigslist and you'll see the number of "Urgent requests" to rehome their pets because they're moving.   Shit, I hate that excuse.

They were still cleaning the cat cages while I was choosing a kitten or two to rescue.  There was blood on the floor nearby where the cats had been giving an injection to kill them.  Sometimes when the needle is removed the artery drips a lot of blood. 

I put away my camera.  My enthusiasm was gone and I felt defeated.  I left with one sweet kitten.  I guess it's when I'm not angry anymore and numb to it all is when I have to worry. 

But it's only June.  God help me (and the cats) when it's August.

The Meaty Part of the Summer

We've had quite a few foster home related emergencies lately.  I've been busy shuffling and juggling cats around.  It's my opinion that the way a rescue handles these situations relays to the volunteers the quality of the rescue in which they volunteer their time.  I really and truly do my best to handle emergency situations the way *I* would want to be treated.  "You're important to the rescue."  As the meaty part of the summer begins, I begin to worry how quickly I can handle these emergencies.  So far, I'm doing OK, but it's one of the reasons I don't burden the rescue with too many cats.

I ended up dismissing my own rule by having "one too many cats" in my own home.  Those of you who foster know that there's a delicate balance with your own cats.  You know when there is one too many cats in the house.  I figured if I rescued Sherman, I would quickly put him in Petsmart:

Fat chance that Sherman would end up at Petsmart.  He looks like a Turner.  Acts like a Turner and I love him already.  At least I could see him adopted through my own home. 

Needless to say, I've used up my "emergency spot" in my home in the event all hell broke lose with one of the foster families.  Not a good position to be in this time of year. 

But look at that little face.  Could YOU have left him in the shelter?  I didn't think so.  :)

Adoptions are going really well.  I stopped posting kitten adoptions on the rescue's Facebook page.  I had a feeling people were thinking, "Gee. A cute kitten adopted. How *special*."  So instead, I'm posting the adults and young adults.  I'm hoping it'll give some hope to other rescues during this tougher part of the summer. 

I've only been to the shelter once this week, but I'm going tomorrow.  I'll pray for no more emergencies and adoptions continuing.  I'm balancing on one foot right now - luckily, I've become pretty good at it.