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. 

Dis and Dat

I was trying to figure out something interesting to write about today since today wasn't a rescue day, but more of an administration day.  I went through the rescue's bank account after making a deposit and thinking "Damn, it feels good to make a deposit."  But I suppose everybody feels that way about money regardless if you're a rescue or not. 

David stepped in dog diarrhea in the middle of the night last night.  Poor guy actually slid in it in his barefeet.  I wasn't sure what woke me up, his loud groan, the stench of dog poop, or David hobbling to turn on all the lights in the bedroom with dog diarrhea dripping off the bottom of his foot.  I guess these things are expected with a geriatric 13-14 year old dog.  Poor girl sometimes just can't wake us up in time. 

Speaking of "old girls", I received an email from a local Humane Society with a picture of "Missy":

I put out an urgent plea for 16 year old Missy when she was surrendered to the shelter.  She found a home and the adopters sent out the "happy tail" picture above.  Adopting a 16 year old cat - imagine what a good feeling that would be if we could all do that!

I've been receiving quite a few "urgent" surrender calls.  I don't like taking owner surrenders.  In fact, I rarely ever do.  One guy actually left me a voicemail saying he had a "UNIQUE situation" as he "really loves his two cats, but his girl friend is allergic". I couldn't call him back and speak to him with any sense of compassion, so I didn't.  (call him back, that is)  Really and truly - he said he had a "unique situation".  I wish I could be more compassionate over situations like this, but I always end up sounding bitchy. 

If you haven't figured it out by now, I have absolutely no rhyme or reason to this blog post today.  However, I've found that as soon as I push "publish" something will come up where I wish I had posted about THAT. 

Certainly talking about dog diarrhea may have hit the bottom of the blog barrel for topics. 

Important Reminder to Me

With great embarrassment, I admit that I've been grumbling around about the number of black kittens in our program.  "How on earth will they ever get adopted? Etc, etc.

Shame on me. 

I rescued 2 more black kittens from the shelter today with great trepidation.  A million "what if's" went through my mind and a huge sense of guilt for feeling that way.  I mean - ALL of our kittens at Petsmart were black!

We have a foster Mom that works full time and has two little boys.  She had taken in a black Mom and her 4 black kittens.  She's on holidays all week and decided that she would spend her vacation at Petsmart getting her black foster kittens adopted.  Today, her remaining two black kittens were adopted together.  All this on the same day that I was kicking myself for rescuing two more black kittens.

I don't believe in coincidences.  Shame on me.  Really. 

Business decisions getting in the way of rescuing.  How I hate that!!  Sometimes I don't know that I'm thinking in a business sense until something like this comes along and kicks my ass back to reality.  They all deserve homes - regardless if colour or number of appendages. 
 
On a happier note, we not only rescued two black kittens today, but also an adorable grey one, and two tabbies.  I had the tabbies in my washroom this afternoon and walked in to this:

That's "Sherman".  I think he's going to be a Turner Refugee for now.  (Is it wrong to suggest that my sons use that toilet paper instead of throwing it out???)

You're never too old or too knowledgeable to learn a lesson.  I'm putting my story about the black kittens "out there", to help others understand that patience and perseverance pays off.  Thank you Melissa for taking teaching this old gal a lesson and working so hard to get your kittens a wonderful home.

Go easy on me.   
 

Adoption Event Day!

Another Saturday spent at an adoption event!  The best part of  adoption events is spending it with fun friends that are hopeful and care about the cats as much as I do.   We had 2 adorable kittens adopted - not a huge amount, but the couple that took both kittens were lovely. 

The shocking part of the day is that two orange kittens remained unadopted!  Imagine!  I think this little guy really wanted to go home with this girl with green hair.  Yes, she had green hair!  Hell, if I were 30 years younger, my hair might be green too.  (Although I think that happened once when I tried to colour my own hair...but I digress)

I've decided that nobody should ever let me plan these adoption events again. The kittens that I chose for the event today were ALL BOYS (except for 1 little girl) Sheesh...Tell me where to show up and I'll advertise it and be there.

We did turn down one adopter today.  It was an adult mother and daughter team.  I think they wanted a cat, but they didn't want a cat to ACT like a cat.  They asked questions like,  "Does he meow a lot?"  or "Does he shed?"  or "My Mother has storage cardboard boxes - will the cat scratch the boxes? We don't want them damaged."  Arggghh.....get a goldfish.

At our Petsmart location, we had FIVE adoptions - all without me.  Looks like my little rescue is doing great and I'm so proud of all we do.

I came home to a cute moment from my own cat Parker and my foster cat Max.  I don't know how they got into this little junky area next to our desks, but they decided it was a good place for a little tabby lovefest.  (Max is the one biting Parker's neck...bad boy.)


David comes home tomorrow! I think I'm far more relaxed tonight because he's not here and I can just collapse in a sweaty, tired heap.

Sweaty and tired....but very happy. :)

Just Another Thursday Rescue Day!

The shelter rescue today was a pleasant surprise!  Five little souls rescued and four were adult cats.  Unfortunately, I don't have all the pictures, but here's a few that'll warm your heart...

The only kitten rescued was "Elvis":

He hissed at me right after I snapped this picture :)  (Little booger!)
I also rescued "Willow"....she's not really an adult, but a gorgeous teenager:

We had a surprise at the shelter when I met a foster Mom and Foster Dad to rescue a couple of declawed cats.  The foster Dad was smitten with a young grey tabby, but she wasn't declawed so we kept moving through the cage area.  He says, "You know...I think she's declawed..."  His wife and I both gave him a "Pshaaawww" and kept walking.  But damned if she wasn't really declawed!  One year old and so sweet. 

Sorry Ed....we'll listen to you next time!

I've been finding myself wound pretty tight lately.  I have a feeling it's because my "rock" has been away for a week now at his geeky Bridge Championship.  He's always a calming influence on me when I have a tendency to be overexciteable and dramatic.

It's been another long day of cat-related stuff and I'm exhausted.  I have a foster parent coming at 9:30 tonight to pick up little "Elvis", then I can hit the hay.  Alone.  *sigh* 

Seriously.

It occurred to me this afternoon that we're at the end of May and the shelter is still on a two day per week euthanasia calendar.  Usually by this time, they're bringing in the vet 3 days per week.  I suppose they'll eventually get there, but every week that goes by where the vet only comes 2 days per week feels like some kind of warped victory.  Maybe residents of the city are getting the message. 

I've actually received some "hate comments" over my recent blog post about a petition circulating through the rescue world regarding  the shelter where I rescue.  The amusing part is that these ladies pushed the wrong damn button, so their "anonymous" email  wasn't really anonymous and I was given their names and email address. The comments were far from lady-like.  Shame on you, ladies.  Honestly.

These folks love animals the way I do - no doubt about it.  But they don't have the correct information and are going through an awful lot of work.  I think it's best I stay out of it completely.  As a registered Canadian Charity, I'm not allowed to be publically involved in politics like this, and I can't put my name on something that is so general:  "Stop the killing at *** Animal Control".  or "Stop the brutality".  NOBODY wants to see the animals euthanized.   Good grief...they're posting pictures of cats that came into the shelter injured and trying to suggest that staff at the shelter allowed them to suffer.  Ridiculous. 

Start a petition on allowing adoptions at this shelter!....Now that's something I could support depending on how it's written and who wrote it.  If you haven't visited the shelter, been to a city counsel meeting, or spoken with the kind shelter manager, don't bother me with it. 

There.  I said my peace.  Any hate mail, please be sure you push the correct damn button - I don't want to know who you are.  But I do wish you all the best in making the changes you wish to see.  I hope they all come to fruition. 

Remember:  We all just want to save some cats.   Rock on, ladies - but be nice. 

Guilt or Not-to-Guilt - That is the Question!

The long weekend was filled with guilt-free cat related activities.  With David being out of town, I was free to transport cats, play with kittens at Petsmart at all odd hours of the weekend!  I even did my first Petsmart adoption on Sunday! 

I need to get over the intense feelings of guilt I get every time I leave a cat at Petsmart for adoption.  I left two of THE CUTEST kittens there today and the little girl looked back at me as if to say, "I just want a home!  Don't leave me here."

The fenced part is what we put up so the kittens can come out and play.  (Excuse the cat carrier - it's normally not there)  We don't use the smaller top cages - just three of the double cages below.  There's lots for the cats to do:


The feelings I have of failure are pure nonsense, as each one of these cats was rescued from a steel, deathrow cage.  These cats have toys, and are out of their cages 2 times per day.  (Not to mention that they actually have a chance of being adopted!) 

We lost two kittens over the weekend in separate situations.  One was a simple accident and the other for unknown causes.  Kitten season is rough and it leaves me feeling so beaten up. 

At the risk of jinxing things, I was at the shelter today and the only cats that were euthanized were sick cats.  Things have been slower there and it's almost June!  Is it possible that this city of a zillion unwanted cats is finally getting the message?? 

At least I didn't feel guilty leaving with only 2 kittens today....they were the only single litters (without a Mom) that was there today!   Do I hear an "AMEN!"?

Soup Girl and My First Fan

A few weeks ago a little tabby girl came into the shelter with a soup can stuck on her head.  I remember begging the staff at the shelter, "Don't let anything happen to her!!!"  Kim named her "Campbell" on the site. Since she came into the shelter, the staff fell in love with her.  When she became sick they gave her fluids, medications and loved her.  I waited while the city paid for her medical care.  Nobody wanted to euthanize her - she came so far from her soup can days. 

Today was the day we rescued "Campbell".  Although I have to admit, I feel like naming her "Soup Girl"... certainly that name alone would force folks to read what happened to her.  Part of me wants to know what kind of soup was on her head.  I'm a bit dramatic so I thought she must've been really starving to eat from a soup can.  But then I thought, "Hell, my own well-fed cats would've done the same thing if the situation presented itself." 

Another volunteer did the rescue for me, and I can hardly wait to see her!  My little Soup Girl!

As the long holiday weekend (in Canada) begins,  I'm happy to announce that I have my first fan:

This is Sophie and the picture was sent to me by her Mom.  She looks quite pleased with herself laying across the laptop.

Adoptions have been slow the past few days as people prepare to go out of town for the weekend.  I'm hoping they pick up again after everybody's back from Cottage Country.  In the meantime, since David is gone for a week, I'm going to camp out at Petsmart and see if I can rally some good quality adoptions. 

Happy Friday!!

A Dozen!

Rescuing 11 kittens and one pregnant Mom today was the highlight of my week!  As usual, I went into the shelter expecting to rescue 3 or 4 and left with 3 times more than I anticipated thanks to another rescue who came forward to help.

The pregnant Mom at the shelter was so sweet and seemed so desperate.  She was HUGE and I could see in her eyes, "Please...I don't want to have my kittens here."  What is it about motherhood of any species?  Message understood.  When I dropped her off at the foster Mom's home, the little Mama cat went to her new foster Mom and rubbed against her legs then came over to me.. *rub* *rub *chirp* *rub*.  What gratitude!  I felt like crying!  Her eyes...the way she looked at both of us.  It penetrated my soul.

The sun is out this afternoon for the first time in days and I'm slowly getting a second wind.  David leaves for a geek-fest Canadian Championship Bridge Tournament.  (Yes, there is such a thing!) He'll be gone a week and as much as I love that man, I'm happy to not have any particular agenda.  Maybe I can get caught up in cat related work....or go wild and go to Wal-Mart at 10 pm!  OOooo....cereal for dinner!!!!  

I guarantee I won't be shaving my legs this week either. 

Whiny Wednesday

Today might have been the first day since starting my rescue that I said to myself, "Why am I doing cat rescue??  Everything is fine really - just some kittens with diarrhea that had to be picked up from Petsmart "immediately".  I had JUST gotten home from Petsmart and was starving, and had to go back again.

I've been so busy, that I've been missing doing normal things that everybody else does.  I bought a new comforter (cat barfed on the old one) and it didn't come with the shams.  It's driving me crazy that I can't manage the time to go back to the store to get the stupid shams! 

I keep telling myself  "Relax Beth.  It's kitten season.  Every rescue is in the same boat." 

On a happy note, the rescue's volunteers have really been going the extra mile to help me.  Instead of driving into the city today to meet foster parents with cats, the foster parents went all the way to the vet's office to pick up the cats so I didn't have to drive that far.  It's been really wonderful and I count my blessings every day.

It was disappointing today, as I had been email communicating for more than a month with a really nice sounding woman interested in an orange kitten that had been born.  She had wanted to pay the adoption fee on the little guy so nobody else could adopt him.  I wouldn't let her do it because we didn't know what his personality would be like - what if bonded with another kitten?  She was willing to wait the 8 weeks.  Needless to say, today was the big day that I could screen her for adoption and see if this would be a good match.   Within a minute, I found out she would declaw him.  I was so deflated, and I'm sure she was too.  Nothing I could say would convince her otherwise.

Argh!

Remember this guy that I rescued yesterday?

I took this video in my washroom yesterday - right after he was rescued.  Hard to believe it's the same cat:


I'm not sure which I should apologize for more - the lame music in the video or my whiny blog post ;)



 

A Tuesday Rescue Day

 I really like going to the shelter knowing that I'm leaving with adult cats.  This time of year is incredibly sad for the adults at the shelter.  They have little chance of getting out alive:

I look at these pictures and they don't even look like the cats that I rescued!  The first picture is Mona.  When I took her out of the cage she licked my ear.  The 2nd picture is "Marc"...he's in my washroom unraveling the toiletpaper right now.  He's adorable!  The 3rd picture is "Stella".  She turned herself upside down in the cage to get my attention.   The foster parents are going to be happy with these guys :)

I was sad to hear that somebody is out circulating a petition against the shelter where I rescue.  What's sad, is that it's a petition against euthanasia at that shelter.  I know that the person means well.  They love animals.  But asking a city pound to stop euthanasia is like asking a hospital to end cancer.  NOBODY likes to kill the animals.  I will not sign the petition.  It's ridiculous.  The sad part is that the person who started the petition doesn't even live in the city and has NEVER been to the shelter!  How much credibility will this person have with the city?  *UGH*

On a happy note, my son took a really cute picture of my latest foster Gabby.  This little sweetie sits on my shoulder ALL the time while I'm at the computer:

Whomever dumped this little treasure at the shelter really missed out on a special girl.  I was pleased to see that my office area actually looks neat in this picture!  David calls my office "Cat Central" and when my rescue phone rings there, it's "The Cat Phone".  He's such a goofball. 

By the way, I met the new neighbours!  The Squirrel-Killing-Animal-Hating Neighbours still live in the house, but the real estate agent was there today and she's the one buying the house!  They have TWO cats and TWO adorable little girls - ages 11 and 8!  I'm so happy!  I'm going to get those little girls to start begging their Mom to foster.  All it takes is one VERY cute kitten who needs help and *WHAMOO* - they're in! 

For the first time in a week, it felt like a normal day and I'm so relieved.  The Rescue Rollercoaster is coming into the station.... :)

The Next Big Step

Another big step in my rescue has been completed!  I am so excited to have an opportunity to become an Adoption Partner with Petsmart.  Beginning immediately, we're able to put kittens and cats in their adoption centre and are available for adoption.  This particular store is the #1 store for sales and adoptions in Canada!  We'll be there 2 months, then off for 1 month - then back again for 2 months, and so on...  I feel like this is such an amazing opportunity.  We already had an adoption on our first day there!!!

What people don't know is that there are steps to becoming an Adoption Partner.  Steps that involve the store manager coming to my home for a "site visit" to insure I'm not a hoarder, and my home (rescue) is well kept.   NONE of this would've been possible without the help from my friends at Ninth Life Rescue who recommended us.  They will be partnering with us at the store.  This store is so big they have TWO adoption centres.  They'll take one - we take the other.  Their volunteers are currently helping us by cleaning our cages and kissing our cats!  They're awesome ladies and I'm so grateful.

I've always had mixed unfounded feelings about cats at Petsmart.  When you're primarily a foster-based rescue, it's not easy to encourage foster parents who have loved their cats to put them back in a cage to be adopted.  But I KNOW that this is an incredible way for more cats to find their Forever Homes.  If I didn't do it, what would I "tell" the cats dying at the shelter?  "Sorry, but I'm too big of a coward to put you in Petsmart, so you'll have to die in a cage here instead."  See what I mean? 

I sent out an email today begging  asking for a volunteer to be The rescue's Petsmart Coordinator to (help me) keep track of the cats and volunteers there.  I'm hopeful somebody will come forward.  I can't do it all.  I can't. I can't. I can't.  I wonder if emails have a "desperation sensor"? 
 
The stress of coordinating all this while my daughter was here left me practically sick to my stomach.  I was up at 5 or 6 am every day just to do paperwork, answer emails, and normal rescue stuff before she woke up and our day together started.  I even did a rescue on Sunday morning before the shelter opened!  Gratefully, one of the staff members unlocked the door for me and let me in to rescue the cats.  It's been CRAZY.

Without further ado....I'm pleased to announce Forever Home Cat Rescue at their new adoption facility hosted by:  Petsmart @ 2501 Hyde Park Gate, Oakville, Ontario.

(yay!)

Doing What I Do

What a relief to be able to write in my blog again!  The Blogger site has been down for several days for maintenance.  I didn't realize how much I need this blog until I couldn't write in it!

My daughter Katy has been visiting since Wednesday evening.  If you've read this blog for a while, you know how important these visits are to me.  She's not a baby - almost 27 years old, but I miss her terribly and hate that she lives so far away.  Juggling the demands of the rescue and having quality time with my little girl has been more than difficult.  I feel like I haven't written a well thought out email response in days. 

I have some exciting news that only my foster parents know for now.  It's going to add a HUGE amount of work for me and the rescue, but I think it'll double the amount of cats we can help.  In the meantime, I've been trying to come up with a list of "Volunteer Opportunities" with hope some kind people will give me a hand.  Lately, the workload has seemed overwhelming.

Last night, I received a call from a favourite person asking for help with a kitten that she found.  She knows me too well and sent me a video and photos of the little monkey just to solidify the deal:

I'm trying not to panic with the new responsibilities that I've put on myself.  One of my biggest fears is that volunteers will get impatient with me.  I just can't be afraid to ask for help. 

I had put out an urgent plea for a little cat that came into the shelter with a probable broken jaw.  I had 2 really wonderful foster parents offer their washrooms for a few days until I could sort things out, but I knew that at this point in time, I wouldn't be able to sort things out quickly enough and the vet bills might have been more than I could afford.  She was euthanized at the shelter this morning and I'm devastated.  It doesn't happen very often where I put out an urgent plea then have to walk away.  I feel like shit. But I have to look out for the cats currently in my care first, and my latest vet bill was more than $4400.00.  She needed a more permanent foster home, lots of donations and I couldn't rally the help.  I feel badly for the wonderful people that did step up to help and I hope they understand why I couldn't help her. 

"Brush off the dust and move on, Beth...

As usual, I'm going to try to embrace all the good things coming my way lately.  Our adoptions are awesome, and my little rescue has truly THE BEST foster homes in the business.  It's the emotional rescue rollercoaster ride, and I feel VERY fragile during the down part of the loop.  I'm hanging in there, doing what I do!  As always, I appreciate all the love, care and support.

If I Didn't Care About Animals

Lately I've been wondering what my life would like if I didn't care so much about animals.  I think about other people who have perfectly clean homes, unfrayed corners of their couch, and sleep in beds without dog or cat hair. 

Sometimes people send me videos of Chinese people killing cats and dogs for food, or electrocuting elephants, or clubbing baby seals.  I can't watch them.  I push the *delete* button as quickly as I would brush a bumble bee off my arm.  You're preaching to the choir when you send me those videos.  I know it's horrific and I wish I didn't get hurt so badly when I watch those horrible videos. 

So what would my life be like if I didn't get warm and fuzzy when I receive the following pictures of our "Dumpster kittens" - found in a plastic garbage bag in a dumpster - now safe in a foster home (with some new friends!)

 My life would be FAR less complicated if I didn't care about animals.  If I didn't care about animals, I wouldn't have to look at the smashed squirrel in the road to see if it was still alive or suffering.  I could just drive by! 

If I didn't care about animals, I wouldn't be grieving with a fellow rescuer about the prospect of euthanizing one of their own rescued cats. 

I was going to make a list of how my life would be different if I didn't care about animals...but I realized the list is just too long.  But certainly if THAT list is long, wouldn't the list FOR LOVING ANIMALS be longer??    Sometimes I wish I had a "normal life" - I've had plenty of chances to live that life.  But I always come back to *this* life. 

I used to be married to a man that barely tolerated animals.  We had a dog that he wouldn't let walk in our backyard for fear it would "screw up the grass".  Knowing the kind of person that I am, how on earth did I survive 20 years with that b.s.? 

Wow..where is this blog post going?  No clue.  Just rambling thoughts and I'm too tired today to edit it... :)

"Gabby"

I like when I go into the shelter not knowing whom I'm going to rescue.  I have a few open foster spaces and was trying to find a good match for them.  What I didn't know, is that I might just fall in love with little "Gabby":

Gabby is only about 16 weeks old and she was sick at the shelter.  Because I'm a new rescue, I have a duty to insure I have enough money to care for our current foster cats in our care.  I felt pretty confident the shelter would euthanize her tomorrow.  My heart was breaking.  I sat on the floor with her trying to figure out if I could knowingly take on a sick cat.  While I was doing the mental math an email came in that I had a donation!  There's no such thing as a coincidence.  I had goosebumps...

 Little "Gabby" was rescued, taken to the vets, given medication, fluids and currently at the House of Turner.  You'd never know she was sick:


This little girl just wants love and wouldn't sit still long enough to receive it. (kiss me! Love me! pet me!) I haven't fostered a black and white girl in a long time.

She's going to be a tough one to give up.  I can just feel it. 

Happy Mother's Day

I was really touched when I came across this video. I am deeply aware at how many cats don't have a human Mom of their own.  It's very very sweet.  Happy Mother's Day to all....

Friday...Oh Yes...Friday!

My exhaustion level has been so high lately. Must be kitten season.  I've forgotten all about my 30 minute power naps in the afternoon - there never seems to be enough time.  I miss those power naps SO much! 

I picked up 4 tiny kittens from another rescue this morning.  Poor little guys had been put in a garbage bag and dumped in a dumpster.  How could someone do such a thing? 

By the time the time the afternoon sun hit the highway, I had 9 kittens meowing in the car.  There was more picking up and more dropping off.  Somewhere in my day I managed to vacuum the Spring "tumbleweeds" of hair floating through my house. 

But look at this SWEET little girl that I rescued today:

She looks like a big girl, but I think she's about 12-13 weeks old.  She's adorable and made my busy day worthwhile. 
 
But the HUGE HUGE news is:  My Squirrel-Killing-Animal-Hating Neighbours are MOVING! I came home this afternoon and they have a real estate SOLD sign in their front yard. Holy crap...I didn't know their house was for sale! If you've never read about these people, please click on the link above.  

Let's hope that the new people that move in are better.  I don't think they could be much worse.

My day of meeting with foster parents isn't over.  I have two kittens in my washroom and am meeting another foster family at 9:30 tonight. 

I'm pooped.  I'm really pooped.  The next cat that barfs on my clean floors is REALLY gonna get it. :)

Happy "Cinco De Mayo!"

Very few things make me happier than to get pictures of cats that have been adopted after being in the shelter.  It's one of the reasons why I post the "After" pictures here - sharing the joy, right? 

Imagine my joy to receive this timely little video from an adopter on "Charlie" whom I rescued last year:
(Turn on your speakers and enjoy!)



Happy "Cinco de Mayo" to all my friends and supporters - from me...and a very spoiled "Charlie".  :)

Tuesday Rainy Day Miscellany

It was a good day to be swamped with phone calls - dark and rainy.  We had adoption calls, post-adoption calls, surrender calls - you name it - we got it today.  It was hard to trudge out in the rain today to take my latest little rescued girl "Peachy" to her new foster home:

Her name at the shelter was "Almond".  *yuck*.  Although I don't think Peachy is much better!  She's 12 weeks old of sweetness! 

On the way back I received an urgent call from a foster Mom.  She had come home at lunch to discover one of her kittens was "flat" and sick.  The poor guy had a horrible reaction from a vaccination and had been on IV - the vet thought he was better and let him go home yesterday.  The kitten thought otherwise and became seriously ill again.  

I was nearby the foster Mom's house so I picked up the little guy who was wrapped in a lime green fuzzy blankie and drove to the vets.  Seriously...there aren't many things cuter than a black kitten in a lime green fuzzy blankie.  I glanced down at him in my arms and he looked so pitiful and sweet.  It's been a long time since I made a "scary drive" with a sick kitten in my arms.  I was all prepared for my explanation to the police officer that would end up pulling me over for speeding.  :)

Under the title, "The Reason Why I Do This", here's a BEFORE picture of "Snow White" at the shelter:

She was a sad, filthy girl....but there was hope when she was adopted on Saturday at our adoption event by a lovely young woman who fell in love with her.  She cradled Snow White like a baby and Snow White knew she had a Forever Home:

There's something about this picture that makes me cry.  Maybe she was just tired from the Adoption Event, but I think she knew she was *HOME*. 

There's no place like home....there's no place like home...there's no place like home.

Back To Business

For some reason, I've been having a terrible time catching up with all the things I need to do since the adoption event.  It seems like I'm taking one step forward towards getting caught up, and two steps back.  My days have become very long again, and I suppose that's my best barometer for kitten season:  Working 12+ hours per day. 

I spent Sunday doing paperwork, updating spreadsheets, and returning phone calls.  David seemed anxious to do some "marital bonding" since I was gone all day on Saturday.  What better place to do some marital bonding than Home Depot?  He was happy and entertained, and I could quietly return phone calls as he looked at wheel barrels. 

I'm starting to reach out for more help.  I just signed up my 45th foster home, and have an application pending for the 46th.   The foster parents that I have are simply amazing and I want to be sure I give everyone adequate support. 

I went back to the shelter today and rescued 3 more cats.  Two of our foster homes went to the shelter the day after the adoption event to rescue!  LOL  I'm still rescuing relatively conservatively.  The 12 week old kitten that I took today required an x-ray of her abdomen.  I knew she would need one, so will have to cover the expense.  I couldn't see letting her die at the shelter because of one simple little x-ray!  

Regardless, even though I have a little bit of money in the bank post-adoption event, I know how quickly it can be eaten up in vet bills by rescuing too many cats too soon. 

Sometimes that's easier said than done. 

I have to share a quickie story:  At the adoption event, an attractive woman came in with her 6 year old daughter.  Her daughter was equally lovely wearing a ballet outfit and tiara.   They casually looked in the cages and the mother threw a hand dismissively in the air, "Let's go Tiffany, these are just domestic cats."

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Big Day!

The universe seemed to be in alignment yesterday.  I woke up to clear skies and warm weather - perfect for our FIRST adoption event!  

I'm almost too tired today to go into all the details.  We all had so much fun and the the turn out was HUGE!

TWENTY CATS AND KITTENS are now Forever Home thanks to the volunteers and donors that make this event such a huge success. 

Everything was gorgeous - we had tablecloths on our tables, decorations, GORGEOUS vinyl banners and posters that were generously donated.  We certainly had the most BEAUTIFUL hand knitted blankies for the cages too!     We had a donation for our beautiful new cages for the event and  I couldn't have been more proud.   We looked like we had been in business for years instead of months.

 The owner of the pet store put out a HUGE table of toys, carriers, beds, pet snacks, etc:

If you look closely, check out what the sign said:

At the end, the owner gave us $235.00 in donation money too!  The owner of the pet store also had coffee, homemade cupcakes and cookies.  (Don't ask me how many cookies I ate)  It was an amazing event.

The best part for me was having a bunch of people (who read my blog) come by during the day to say "hello" and wish me well.  People that I've never met before!  I was in awe that anyone would take their time to come out and give me hug.  It truly made the event even more special for me. 

(This will forever be the picture that is the inspiration for me to show up on the front doorstep of Weight Watchers tomorrow.  Good Lord, what happened to my Size 6 figure?  *sigh* )

I agonized over every adoption and worried about "my kids" into today. It wasn't until I sat and called every adopter this morning that my mind started to ease a little bit. Everyone who adopted seemed very happy with their new family member and seemed to appreciate the post-adoption call even more.

I'm still really tired and a little bit "high" from the excitement of the day.  I must be blessed with THE BEST volunteers in the cat rescue business.  I've never felt so much love, and support for each other.