Thursday, April 28, 2011

Let the Summer "Urgent Pleas" Begin

I've really missed being at the shelter today.  Because of the adoption events this weekend, I've found myself  doing nothing but preparing for the day on Saturday.  Once I have all the "stuff" I need, it won't be such a big deal next time.  We received an AWESOME donation of gorgeous vinyl banners and posters for our events.  I'm going to feel SO professional now!  I don't think people realize how much effort goes into adoption events.

Lots of cats are marked for euthanasia tomorrow.  Even these five kittens.

They're only 5 weeks old - barely started in life.  Breaks my heart and sickens me.  Why can't I save them?  I can't save them all.  Until people spay and neuter their pets kittens like this will not have a chance at life.

Even this sweet little pregnant Mom is going to die tomorrow morning:


She came into the shelter with those pink nail covers on.  The staff was SURE she'd be claimed by her owner.  It'll be too late if they do try to claim her. 

 I have to go to the shelter tomorrow to rescue a few more cats.  I hate going after a euthanasia day - the empty cages and the feel of death.

 Hard to explain. 

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Representing Me

I had a lot of people that felt traumatized after I mentioned the 3 kittens represented on my blog banner that had been euthanized about 3 years ago.  Believe me - I was traumatized to find out I was too late to rescue them.  So I decided to change my banner.

I cautiously asked David what he thought of my new banner.  He winced and said, "Is THAT supposed to be better than the dead kitten banner?"  Good Grief.  He has a way with words. 

This IS a picture of one of the cat rooms where I rescue.  I didn't want just any ol' picture, and certainly not some cute "fluffy kitten" picture.  I wanted a picture that represented what I do and where I go.  Maybe I should've taken a picture of the hardened hairball barf in the corner of my living room that everybody is pretending not to see.  That sums up my life perfectly these days. :) 

I found a really special picture last Sunday on Post Secret
Wouldn't you like to have coffee with the person who posted THAT secret??  I know I would!!  I thought I was the only one that felt that way. 
So yeah....the new banner is a little gloomy.  But so is going into the shelter.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Is My Head Attached To My Body?

I had hoped that I wouldn't have to go back to the shelter for a while, but it occurred to me that I hadn't rescued anybody for my own rescue and I had an excited new foster Mom waiting.  You can imagine how fun it was for me to go into the shelter this morning and know that the vet had been cancelled.  All the faces that were there the day before were still there!

I rescued little "Aerin" today:
It's certainly hard to tell, but she's THE SWEETEST little love muffin!  Only about 7 months old, so I renamed her "Happy".  I don't know why, but I've had an urge to name a foster cat "Happy".  I don't know where I get these notions, but I'm told that other foster parents get these ideas.  There's a business near my house named "Bazar McBean" - My next obsession for a very cute male kitten.  Hahahaha :)
I like names that make people want to click on the bio and want to know more about him.  Take "Alfalfa" for instance;  he's a pretty ordinary looking kitten...but the guy looks like freakin' ALFALFA from Little Rascals:


 I still laugh out loud when I see these two pictures together.  In fact, I put the picture of the human Alfalfa next to the kitten Alfalfa in his bio.  I hope it gets him adopted.

It's been crazy getting ready for the adoption event this weekend.  I'm a little sad, because one of the other local rescues reduced their adoption fee to $99 for the adoption event.  They're a much "wealthier" rescue, and I can only hope that it doesn't hurt my kitten's chances for adoption.  I'm not sure how they can do it - I just wish I could!!    Oh well....we'll do the best we can, right?  They all need homes - not just my rescue's cats!

I've had a couple hours of downtime to do some grocery shopping and laundry today.  To show how busy it's been, I spent $300.00 at the grocery store, but STILL didn't buy bread or milk.  What on earth DID I buy??  Where was my head today?

It's Tuesday, right?  :)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Accepting the Good With the Bad

I went to bed last night in exciting email correspondence with several rescues working on pulling cats from the shelter.  I knew what they were doing;  frantically calling foster homes, begging, sending pictures of the cats, and taking an accounting of available space and weighing costs.  When I went to bed last night, I wasn't sure who would be able to leave the shelter this morning!

The emails were exciting!  When I woke up, I read the threads frantically looking for words like "Final Rescue Tally".   Two lists added up to 10 ADULT cats and 2 kittens for two different rescues today. 

I was practically skipping through the closed shelter today - Gathering cats like children gather Easter eggs.  As I double checked my list, I realized one cat wasn't there, so made a few calls and knew there had been a mistake.  I could still rescue ONE MORE pregnant cat!

I went to "Dipsey's" cage who was VERY pregnant when she arrived:
I stopped in horror as I opened her cage to find one dead kitten in her litterbox, and blood all over.  The sight frightened me for a moment.  I guess those who work at the shelter are used to coming upon these sort of things.  But I wasn't.  I found a (nice) staff member who sadly tried to revive the dead kitten. 

She looked further and found two more kittens in the litterbox.  They were alive!  The staff hadn't been in that room yet to clean the cages, so the poor little angels had been delivered in a litterbox full of poop and pee.  The umbilical cord and placenta was still attached to them and we thought it was best not to cut anything.  (Cutting a large umbilical cord can cause bleeding)

I loaded up the carrier with the little family and the rest of the cats and headed to my first stop - a veterinary clinic.  I mentioned to the vet that I had a Mom with newborns who needed some help with cutting umbilical cords...yada yada yada.  The vet took one look and stopped.

"This is not a large umbilical cord.  These are the kitten's intestines and his stomach. He will die and he's suffering now.  We need to euthanize him."

Shit.  I started to cry.  The vet looked at me and her eyes welled up too.  I'm sure that wasn't going to be the best part of her day.  While the vet was getting the needle ready, I stroked the little one.  I don't know why I said this, but I found myself whispering at the struggling kitten, "Come back as a lion and kick some ass."   Shit.  I don't even believe in reincarnation.  My eyes burned as the tears fall down my cheeks.

The good news?  I rescued enough cats Friday and today for the shelter to cancel the vet's euthanasia day tomorrow.

Many thank you's to Abbey Cats and Forgotten Ones who made it possible for me to rescue these little lives today:

Friday, April 22, 2011

GOOD FRIDAY!

It was one of those awesome rescue days!   The shelter was closed for Good Friday, and there were five of us from my rescue choosing cats.  Even as I pulled into the parking lot another rescue contacted me about rescuing several cats for them.

Honestly...it wasn't until we finished and took a final tally, that I was told we rescued TWENTY-ONE little souls out of the shelter today.  Five went to Forgotten Ones Cat Rescue and SIXTEEN went to my Forever Home Cat Rescue. At the risk of sounding corny..."it was a day to remember!"

One of our veteran foster Moms brought her adult-aged daughter to see the shelter.  I was hopeful she would be inspired to foster somebody.  Much to my delight she left with a Mom and FIVE nursing kittens!   Let the rescue addiction begin!!!!

I can't imagine what we looked like in the car going down the highway - it's bad enough when it's just ME in the car with a zillion cats.  But three 50 year old women with a pile of cat carriers stacked in the car must've been quite a show for the Good Friday travellers:

We rescued one little guy that was obviously sick.  Poor little munchkin had diarrhea pouring out of him.  It broke my heart to see the litter stuck to his sore bum and his 5 week old little body begging at the cage front for somebody to hold him.  Only true cat rescuers would wrap that stinky kitten in a blankie and snuggle him despite his objectionable appearance and smell.  Many thank you's to Connie who took him home to nurse him back to health:

Today gives new meaning to the Christian holiday "Good Friday".  I was really proud to part of this loving effort and proud to know those who gave up their holiday to save 21 little lives today.

Happy Easter all!  :)

Thursday, April 21, 2011

It Feels Like a Friday

Yesterday, I spent the better part of the day moving my 20 year old son BACK home after he had moved out 4 months ago.  (yippee.)  It's funny how life takes these turns.  Kids leaving with a vow to never move back to the "old folks house".  It was a horrible day moving already junky furniture in the freezing rain from his apartment, into our basement.

I admit that I was really relieved to get back to MY life today. 

It's amazing the ingenuity that foster parents come up with regarding sick cats.  We often get cats from the shelter with an Upper Respiratory Virus.  One of the remedies I suggest to help with congestion is to put a cat for 20 minutes in a warm steamy room (shower runnning).  It worked when my kids were little and it works for stuffy cats too.  One of our foster Moms came up with a great idea to steam a stuffy cat with a warm air humidifier:

I wonder how much water I wasted with MY way over the years?  Anyway - thought I'd share. 

Skunk Girl has a name! Her new name is "Violet" and she looks like she's in heaven in her foster home:
(I can't figure out why my photo software didn't rotate the picture properly - for some reason, it won't set!)
But doesn't she look HAPPY?

Our other sad little boy "Ian" looks pretty happy with his situation too:

It's hard to believe that this is the same sad cat:

I can almost count the minutes to his future adoption.  Somebody is going to fall head over heels with this guy.

Tomorrow is a rescue day despite the shelter being closed.  The staff still has to go in and feed/clean the animals.  There are some cuties there and I'm anxious to get them out.  I've been making phone calls today to see if I can secure foster space. 

Today is the kind of day that I need to go back and read some of my happier blog posts and encouraging emails.  I had to make a decision about a cat today that I wish somebody else could be responsible for.  I'm very blessed to have foster parents that encourage me and keep me lifted despite it all. 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Tuesday Rescue

There were lots of changes being made at the shelter today.  I don't know everything, so hate to speculate too much, but I'm worried.  Certainly, I'm not an expert in shelter environments, but it feels like decisions were being made prematurely that might work beautifully now - but will be disasterous in the summer months.

Wait.  I think that's called "Speculating".  On to something else...

I rescued 4 cats today with the help of a happy foster Mom who took two of them:

I also rescued The World's Cutest Kitten (TWCK).  I guess I always say that, but this 8 week old charmer is killing me, he's just too cute for words.

There was another little girl at the shelter that despite all the odds, she managed to survive two HUGE euthanasia days at the shelter:

We've been calling her "Skunk girl", because I thought that the white stripe down her back was fur.  It's actually fur LOSS.  The vet thinks she had been shaved or something.  She's a tiny little thing - probably weighs 5 pounds soaking wet. 

Honestly?  I couldn't believe she was still alive when I arrived today.

(Update at 5 pm:  Just dropped off the 8 week old kitten at the train station to meet his new foster Mom.  She look one look at him and said,  "You might as well go back to the shelter and find me another foster cat, because THIS ONE isn't going ANYWHERE!  I love him already!  *kiss* *kiss* *kiss*"

Looks like I haven't lost my touch for matchmaking.  :)

Monday, April 18, 2011

Intuition

I received a wonderful email this afternoon from one of our foster parents who is fostering "Betsy" and her beautiful litter of 6 babies.  (I'm posting her email with her permission):

"I was home sick with sinus infection since Wednesday and feeling really crappy. The little ones are more playful  each day but I wanted to stay away from them – I keep my own kids at bay when I’m sick.

Well no matter what I was doing, no one, not even Betsy listened (she is still a bit reserved towards everyone but I think this comes from protecting the little ones). As I lay on the couch listening to some music, Betsy at first sat beside the couch and kind of looked at me with question on her face “are you alright?” and when I spoke to her assuring her that everything will be fine, she jumped on top of my blanket and lied down on my legs. Soon after, Charlie (one of the kittens) started to climb up the couch- can you believe it ? - and after 2 attempts he made it and crawled right to my chest and fell asleep.

On Thursday, the scenario was similar only this time it was Charlie and Chelsea that kept me company and even though I have put them down several times they insisted on sleeping on the couch with me rather than with their siblings.

There is definitely lots of love in those little guys."


I could've probably skipped the entire email and just posted the last sentence. Yes, there's certainly a lot of love in those little guys! The little family was taking care of their foster Mom - instead of the other way around.  Gratitude?




"Betsy" and family



" Chelsea, Cloud and Cassandra" I hate to admit that I get all teary-eyed when I see this picture. These three make me happy just to look at them.

This email reminds me how intuitive our little furry friends can be.  One of my cats went through my divorce with me almost 10 years ago and she never left my side.  She still never leaves my side.  I remember crying into her neck so the kids couldn't hear me. 

Tomorrow, I'm going to the shelter.  It's odd when I don't go on a Monday, but I was stuck in traffic court with my son, and a doctor's appointment for myself this afternoon.  I couldn't quite squeeeeeeze it in.  But I'm hopeful for a good rescue day tomorrow!

Would be happy to post a few of your "animal intution" stories....

Friday, April 15, 2011

Kitten Farming

My day seemed ordinary when I woke up this morning.  In retrospect, it's probably STILL an ordinary day where rescue is concerned.  I was supposed to rescue a couple of cuties from the shelter this morning and meet a foster Dad to choose a new foster cat.  We did a great job picking out cats and organizing the rescue!  UNTIL....

The vet tech tells me that a litter of 5 kittens, plus 1 tag-a-long kitten (all about 3 weeks old) arrived moments ago.  "If you can't take them, there is no Mom so we'll have to euthanize them."

Before anybody says how cruel that is to euthanize 3 week old kittens, please remember that there is NO Mom cat - NO volunteers that work at the shelter to feed them.  So they're either humanely euthanized when they come in, or they starve to death.  Fortunately,  we were already there rescuing, so were asked if we could take them.

Hell.  I didn't really have room.  But I did have my foster list that I keep printed in my purse.  So I started dialing phone numbers.  "Krista" could bottlefeed 3 kittens, but couldn't pick up until tonight.  "Karen" has a nursing Mom of older kittens, so she could take 2 of them and allow the other 3 to hang out until Krista could pick up.  "Laurie" took the slightly older "tag-a-long" kitten and is bottlefeeding that one. 

I dropped off the remaining 5 kittens at Karen's house.  I was in awe.  Her Mom cat immediately took to the kittens and started grooming and nursing them...despite having FOUR kittens already!  Obviously, 9 was too many for her, but it certainly soothed the little ones until Krista arrives to take the 3 in the evening. 



The stress of making this happen was gruesome!   I still had my two "teenage rescues" in the backseat going to their neuter, so they had to be dropped off:

In the middle of all this, my OWN son calls and says, "OMG...I totally forgot that I have a court date for that Careless Driving Accident on Monday...what am I going to do????"

Euthanizing him wasn't an option either, but it did add to the stress of the day. I wish I could "farm him out" like I did the kittens today. Maybe another Mom....??

Happy Friday all and many thanks to all who love me despite the flipped out phone calls they received this afternoon.  :) 

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

"Too Cool 4 School"

It's amazing how a simple picture can inspire people.  I've had people call to adopt a cat that they've never met and have already sent the pictures to friends, put the pic on their computer desktop and renamed the cat! 

When I first saw "Channy" on the shelter website, I admit I was smitten:
He's a big ol' Tom cat (about 10 months old) with seven toes on each foot.  But there was *something* about his face. I felt like I was looking at a kind, wise person. He looked like somebody I could confide in - someone who would love me despite all my faults. 

While I was oogling Channy, so was one of our foster Moms who contacted me this morning about him!  It was love at first sight for her too.  I had no choice but to make the trek to the shelter this morning to see our boy.

Truly.  He's more handsome in real life.  What on earth is it about this guy???  I picked him up with his back against my chest, but he spun around to put his paws around my neck.  He held on for dear life and nuzzled his face in my neck.

"Oh, please let him like other cats...please...please...please...I don't want to put him back in the cage!"

I cautiously held him up to other cats in the shelter.  He almost seemed to smile a goofy little "Howdy do!" smile. 

"Thank heavens!  He's OK with other cats!! He's got a foster home and he's OUTTA HERE!"

When I took him to the vets he came out of his carrier and immediately flopped over on his back with a *thud*.  Belly rubs were in order and I was starting to regret not fostering him myself. 

So I ask you....what is it about this guy?


He's going to need a new name....

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The "One Kitten" Update!

It figures that after yesterday's blog post that I would receive an adoption call about my own foster kitten "Max".  The lady sounded very lovely and only wanted ONE kitten.  Suddenly, it was time to put my heart where my mouth is.  Max is the type of kitten that parties with all the cats.  He's always frollicking with somebody, but never cuddles with any of them.  My heart was beating so fast as I was listening to this woman talk about her past cats. 

Suddenly, I heard THE words:  "Our vet is very good and will also be doing the declaw surgery..."

I was off the hook!  She was going to declaw and no matter what I said to convince her otherwise, she would declaw my little Max. 

The right home will come up for my little boy.  For now...he's happy with me - and my cats.

Anybody who reads this blog knows I don't believe in coincidences.  But I thought it was strange to get that adoption call almost immediately after my last blog post....

AND....Coincidence?

My little BONDED pair "Spring" and "Sprout" were adopted today:


A home.  Together. Forever.


I was thrilled receiving all the input from other people from my last blog post.  I read every word and really appreciated everybody taking the time to post a response. 

Monday, April 11, 2011

The Single Kitten

With the beginning of kitten season and busy kitten adoptions, I'm always presented with the question: 

"I only want one cat, will you adopt out a single kitten?"

Since I'm asked this question so many times per day (I've already had 3 adoption calls today with this exact question) I decided to write out my feelings an see if I can come up with a straightforward answer to this question.

In a perfect world, I'd like to think that every kitten would have a cat friend to play, sleep and eat with.  They seem so happy and well adjusted to be adopted in pairs.  I know of some rescues that will ONLY adopt kittens in pairs.

My philosophy is that until there are NO kittens in a high kill shelter being euthanized because nobody wants them, we MUST consider allowing kittens to be adopted into a single cat home. 

Look at the banner that I use for my blog;  3 perfect little kittens.  I took that picture.  ALL THREE of those kittens were euthanized at the peak of kitten season because there weren't enough homes or a rescue that could take them.  They're dead.  Gone.  Burned in a heap of other unwanted cats. 

I wish I could ask those kittens:  "If you could have a wonderful, loving home for the rest of your life, would you rather die here in the shelter, or be in a home as a single kitten?" 

Who are we to say that the kitten won't have a wonderful life as the Belle of the Ball?

Sometimes we get kittens that MUST be adopted together.  I had a feeling "Spring" and "Sprout" were bonded when they were at my house for an afternoon.  They sought out each other's company despite the fact that there were two other littermates in the room.  I wasn't 100% certain, until the pictures started coming in from the foster family:
These little guys are inseparable.  The foster Mom tells us that they eat, sleep and play together despite the fact that there are other cats in the home.  They will be adopted together.

We rescued one little girl from the shelter named "Luna":


Luna is totally indifferent to other cats.  She likes people.  She's being adopted tonight by a loving family who only want a single kitten.  It's nice when things are that obvious. "Doesn't want cat company = single cat" "Plays with other cats = needs a cat friend."

 We had an awesome young woman who lives alone interested in adopting one of our tiny kittens, but she works full time and is gone 2 or 3 nights per week.  I couldn't do it - one 8 week old kitten alone all the time isn't right - or is it?  He'd get a home that's Forever.  Isn't that a good thing? 

But sometimes it's not that obvious, and that's when we have to rely on our wonderful foster parents who live with the cats.  We have to remember that in a few months NOBODY is going to be rescuing from the shelters.  The simple truth:  There are too many kittens and not enough homes. 

This blog post is merely my opinion and I don't expect everybody to agree with me.  But I keep looking at those three kittens that I use for my blog banner and wonder what they would've wanted if somebody had asked them. 

Saturday, April 09, 2011

What Happened to Friday?

It was strange for me to not write a Friday blog post yesterday.  The day sort of got away from me!

If you didn't get a chance to read Thursday's blog post about the passing of little "Kallie", please take a peek at it here, before reading on.

While baby Kallie was dying on Thursday, I was busy giving some phone advice for another rescuer when she found a tiny kitten under a pile of wood. The kitten belonged to a feral Mom who had moved the rest of the kittens, but this one remained.

Through her grief, the foster Mom read about the plight of little "Chance" and offered to take him and put him with the rest of Kallie's littermates. It's always a little scary, because you don't know if Mom cat is going to accept a newcomer.

Our worries were unfounded.

  Little Chance has a family once again. 

Our adoptions are going well, and the phone is ringing.  We had a darling litter of kittens born yesterday:


The circle of life continues, I guess!

I'm "off the clock" this weekend and gratefully have a volunteer minding the email and phones.  I'm going to have a little outing with my sweetie today.  Have a wonderful weekend!!

Thursday, April 07, 2011

Grief? Exhaustion? Relief? Anger?

I'm declaring the beginning of kitten season.  Maybe it's premature, maybe it's just been a bad day:

1.  I've received my first frantic phone call from a friend who found a tiny feral kitten under a pile of wood. 

2.  There are more and more pregnant cats, nursing Moms and kittens coming into the shelter. 

3.  I've already had my first bullshit argument over who-gets-what-kittens at the shelter.  It wasn't really an argument - but I'm completely annoyed since there are going to be a zillion kittens at the shelter soon - more than half will die because they are unwanted.  Why argue over the first bunch?

4.  There are  4 kittens on our rescue site and I have had 10 calls on them.  NONE of which were workable adoptions.   Everybody wants a "baby kitten". 

The worst part of the day is that while  I was on the phone helping a friend rescue the 4 week feral guy, our little "Kallie" lost her battle and passed away.  I'm not sure what I heard in her foster Mom's voicemail - grief? exhaustion?  relief?  anger?  I don't know...but any of those emotions are appropriate.  She worked so hard and it breaks my heart.

Before kitten seasons ends, there will be numerous blogs posts that I will  fill with "Grief", "Exhaustion", "Relief" and "Anger". 

We had one kittens' passing and another's new beginning.  Without the volunteer digging this little man out from under the pile of wood, he would turn out to be just another statistic in the city:

Welcome, little guy.  We'll find you a really good home.  I think his name should be "Chance" - because now he has one....a chance.   

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Seeing it Through

Sometimes with all the rescuing and manging I do, I forget to write about other important things that happen every day within a rescue.

Right now, we have a foster parent tube feeding a cat who had stopped eating.   Tube feeding isn't really that horrible, but I'm sure it's not what the foster parent considers an enjoyable part of fostering.  But the foster Mom is doing it anyway - she's taking this on and is going to see it through.  What a victory it will be to watch this little cat go to her Forever Home one day!

We have foster parents medicating, wiping cat butts, squiring eye drops into unhappy, wriggling cats...all for the love of cat rescue.   I often wonder what foster parents give up in order to do what they do. 

Right now we have a kitten who is fighting for her life.  Little Kallie:
Kallie's foster Mom has been feeding this little girl with an eyedropper every 2 hours for the past week.  I'm cautious when I say "it's a miracle that this kitten has survived."  She's survived for many reasons - but the loving, diligent foster Mom is one of the primary reasons Kallie is still alive.  Certainly THIS isn't what the foster Mom thought would be the fun part about fostering.  Her foster Mom sounds exhausted, but continues to do whatever is necessary.   
Every time Kallie's foster Mom calls me, I hold my breath - certain that this is "the call" where I hear that Kallie has passed away.  But she hasn't.  She's holding on despite it all.  Kallie might not survive - but her foster Mom isn't going to go down without a fight.

After yesterday's post, I received a lot of lovely accolades for the rescue.  Believe me - NONE of this would be possible without unselfish volunteers who came forward and were willing to help these discarded cats.  I spent the evening prior to the rescue in email and phones contacting other rescues to find space within their organization.  (I would've put a million dollar a year salesman to shame.)

Despite rescuing 19 cats yesterday, I ended up forgetting one guy:
Poor Fritz!  I wouldn't have remembered, but his foster Mom contacted me this morning.."Umm..Beth, I read your blog and I didn't see that Fritz had been rescued!"  Poor guy!  I scrambled out the door this morning and picked him up.  Lots of apologies and kisses for Fritz!    
I think Fritz would have a few things to say to me about "Seeing it through...."

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

Wallowing in a Great Rescue Day!

I could die a happy woman if every day was a rescue day like this one.  We managed to rescue 19 cats (one of them was an adoption).  I still have kittens in my washroom waiting for foster parents to pick up, and a wonderful Kim H. who drove the remaining cats to Richmond Hill to their rescues.  Thank you to all involved who made this rescue possible:

I was so excited to rescue Snoopy today! I only wish I could tell the elderly lady that was forced to leave him at the shelter that her boy is now safe and has a chance at life.


While at the shelter, I called another rescue and let them know that there was a  VERY needy Mom and babies that needed help.  "SURE, BETH!  We can take them too!"  Music to my ears!


Putting a rescue together of this size took a lot of amazing people who said, "Yes, I can Beth!" This is what it looked like as I was about to load everybody into my little car:



I'm going to be thinking about this rescue for a long time.  A good nights sleep is coming my way! (At least until the vet bills come in!)

Monday, April 04, 2011

Those Dang Young'uns

I'm in the middle of some birthday festivities today, so will have to make this post short. It's hard to believe that I've reached the point in my life where I no longer have teenagers. My "baby" has turned 20 years old today.   What will I use as an excuse for my lack of attention to detail?   I used to say,

Sorry.  I'm pregnant...hormones.

Toddlers!  I'm just too busy.

Soccer! Hockey! Baseball!  Cheerleading!  Kill me now!

Teenagers!  Seriously...kill me now. 

Today I received an adoption call from a early - mid-20's couple.  Initially, I was resistant.  They seemed too young.  Why do they know about a 20 year commitment on a cat?? 

Then it occurred to me -

I had 4 cats as a University student in my first apartment at 18 years of age.  I was married at 21.  Had a baby at 22. 

What the hell did *I* know about a 20 year commitment?  I didn't know anything, but I knew that they were my responsibility and I had them for life.   I took my cats to the vets to be fixed and they lived to be more than 18 years old. 

I guess the older *I* get, the younger the adopters seem to be. I need to get over it and not become one of those jaded rescuers that think "every young'un is gonna dump their cat at the first sign of an allergic boyfriend." 

Tomorrow is going to be a GOOOOOOD rescue day - stay tuned...

Friday, April 01, 2011

End of the Week Wrap Up!

It was a quiet Friday at the shelter.  My plan was to rescue somebody for a new foster Mom.  Her preference was a Mom and kittens, but I had heard the shelter didn't have any.  (Always good news!)
Circumstances change quickly at a high volume shelter.  There was now TWO Moms with nursing kittens that both arrived yesterday. 

I ended up rescuing the world's cutest dilute calico Mom and her SIX equally adorable dilute calico kittens.  What a gorgeous litter!  If that wasn't cute enough - the babies (who are TWO weeks old) were all hissing at me!  (Say, "Awwwwwwwwwww!")

I also left with a sick 8 week old kitten named "Madison".  She's already cost the rescue $170 of our $175 adoption fee within minutes of leaving the shelter.  I just couldn't leave her.  Nor could anyone else who reads this blog.  She's in my washroom upstairs meowing pitifully.  I can hear my big 22 year old macho son talking babytalk to her as he's sitting on the washroom floor with her. 

Kim was telling me a story today about an elderly woman walking up the main street in front of the shelter in a walker.  On top of the walker was "Snoopy":
Attached to Snoopy's cage this morning was a note in an obviously elderly person's handwriting.  I wanted to take a picture of the note, but decided against it.  The woman stated she had a massive lung infection and the doctor told her to get rid of the cat.  She went on to say, "He'll love you when he's sick, follow you around, and be your best friend.  Please find a home for him and love him."  I'm sure there were dried tears on that note - somewhere.

My heart sank.  The woman was understandably distraught when she left Snoopy.  I can't imagine what it was like for her to WALK using a WALKER with a cat on the top. 

...and from the "Shameful Excuses to Dump a Cat" Department:

Skittles was left at the shelter because he "played too rough with the kids".  No, he wasn't neutered:

Of course, he played "too rough with the kids"....he's a TOM CAT for heaven's sake!!!  He's frustrated and ornery.  Ignorant people.

David is playing Bridge all weekend at some geeky tournament in the city.  His punishment for leaving me all weekend is me shopping - A LOT - Lucy Ricardo-style.

To end the busy week, I've taken a little video of "Madison" the 8 week old kitten I rescued this afternoon.  She's a live-wire and skin and bones.  Let's hope she continues to get better and this video makes you smile.  Happy Friday!