Wordy Wednesday....

ummm - this was Sunday morning. Mom saw Doc run by with something red. Puzzled, she leaned over to find this picture. Yes - that is Mo's collar. It was rescued and returned to its proper owner. No one is confessing on how it got off......  And it isn't like we don't have enough toys in the house!!

Now, we know most of you have experienced this: the thud or weird noise from another room. Anyone with animals or kids knows what we are talking about. Well, this morning, it happened again....  the strange thud from the back bedroom. Mom debated - to check or not to check?? With a sigh, she walked back - and found Doc had found a new (to him) box and was thumping it around the room. That boy.....

Right now everyone seems to be doing well. The alcohol kittens are in the bathroom during the day - makes it easier for mom to keep track of them - she is still pretty worried. Miss Beckie had 3 kittens run for the Bridge from her house on Monday night. We aren't sure if it is something weird or if it something Bear had since he was at both houses. For now, we are keeping our paws crossed that there are no more kittens crossing the Bridge and everyone stays healthy.

Bourbon

We had several comments asking for a Bourbon update. We aim to please:

I see your scratching post and scoff at it....

dis white guy is ok - and his bum is comfy too

lovin' on the foster mom...that lap is ok with me

The Bourbon boy is pretty dang cute. He is going and going and going.....

He is keeping up with his siblings and even Doc and Sally. Mom has to call to get him into the v-e-t to have his legs looked at again now that he is bigger. But he does stairs and even climbs the cat tree with no issues. OK - getting down is a little different for him, but he runs like mad around the house.

He is always looking for attention and is just sweet and lovey. Oh - and a bit of a drama queen - ignore the screaming. :)
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Thanks for all the comments yesterday. It is scary to think it is something that could affect them all. The kid was over on Saturday and said to mom on Sunday that it is "weird" cause Cognac seemed ok then. It is strange.....So far everyone is doing well here. Gin has some runny eyes that mom is treating. But then again Cognac was gone in about 12 hours.

Oh, and for those of you keeping track, the a/c machine died. Along with the heat exchange machine upstairs. So on Friday there will be strange men here (mom muttered something about locking up all the cats - huh??) and installing new cold air machines.The cost almost gave mom a heart attack - we suspect our treat money just went up in flames. sigh.....

ugh.....

Mom had plans for yesterday. Get up, do more laundry and head to Petco for their adoption weekend.

When she got up, Cognac was acting funny. Now, everyone was out yesterday and acting fine. Everyone ate last night. She tried to syringe feed him but he fought her pretty much. Mom got some water and some a/d into him - as much as possible.

She packed up Doc, Bourbon and Whiskey and headed out.

Ashley was adopted (YEAH) but the same family that adopted a kitten from the rescue last fall. The mom fell in love with Ashley yesterday (Ashley is 4 years old and has been with the rescue since she was a tiny kitten) and decided she had to take her home.

Since that emptied a cage, mom ran home and grabbed Sally so that Doc and Sally could stay at Petco looking for their forever homes. Cognac was laying down but seemed ok.

The kid joined mom at Petco. When they were done, they packed up Bourbon and Whiskey and headed home. Mom went into the bathroom....and Cognac had run for the Bridge.  Mom took him to the v-e-t where Bear is. She checked on him while she was there. Bear is ok - but not great. And seemingly not getting better.

So, we have the sads. And mom is worried that maybe there is something in the house that is causing all of this. She and Miss Beckie agreed that Doc and Sally needed to come back here just in case, so mom picked them up and brought them back here.

Please be thinking about everyone here while we figure this out.

RIP Cognac - we know your sister Amaretto was waiting to greet you when you crossed Rainbow Bridge

Wow.....

Sally is going very well. She was whiny about being locked up last night. Mom let her and Doc out this morning and pretty soon here come the other kittens. Mom gave up and just moved the gate. Now it is a couple of hours later and everyone has picked a separate spot and passed out.

Mom ran errands this morning and now has to run more this afternoon. See, Grandma and Grandpa had to take a tree out of their backyard (you can read about it and see a picture slide show here - it is pretty interesting). And apparent the kid has decided she doesn't want to help, so she called mom and asked if they could do something this afternoon. :)

Finally Friday

Mom says it has been a long week. We say she only worked 4 days so what is she complaining about. :)
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Sally is at the v-e-t today getting her ladygardenectomy. Please be thinking about her. (yep - she now FINALLY weighs 2.6 pounds)

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Thanks for all the well wishes and helpin' us with the house trashin'. Mom should be busy most of the weekend cleanin' up. MOL
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The boys from the Army of Four mentioned yesterday that it is strange that it took mom 4 months to decide to keep Tim and Tom. Yeah - she is kinda slow like that. MOL
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Our pictures in the Turbo Track event at up over at Max the quilt cat hosted by Bugsy and Knuckles. And in the Boxing event over at Sasha's.
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Mom was reading an article on Catster about favorites. Now, she claims she doesn't HAVE a favorite, but we suspect she isn't being very truthful. And we know that some foster monsters get her more than others.

In the house now, it would have to be Doc, Bourbon and Whiskey. Whiskey is just always looking for attention from mom (who would guess his mommy is feral?) and loves to be loved on. Bourbon loves attention as well but his leg issues and his refusal to give up make mom smile.  And then there is Doc. As mom says, that boy is just..... special. MOL

Yeah - he appears to be partly gray. That was new when mom got home. She thinks he may have been playing in the fireplace ashes. sigh....

Moonshine (gray), Bourbon on the stand and Cognac on the tree

yes, that is the TOP of the cat tree

The alcohol kittens are out and about and having fun. Mom still only lets them out under supervision - unless someone (cough*Tim*cough) moves the gate and they get free. They have discovered the cat tree and everyone climbs like mad - even Bourbon!!

Mom is in BIG trouble...

Geez....we know she was on baycation and everything, but sheesh......

So, a day late and several dollars short, we have a couple of things to celebrate:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Ivy!!!! 

(she is 3 whole years old)

                                                  (Mom thinks this ^ is Ivy)

Who would have thought when she showed up with her mommy and sisters that she would have stayed??? And then turn into this........

Happy Birthday (late) to "Princess" Ivy Crankypants!!!

And....

Again in the better late than never catagory,

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY to Tim & Tom!!!!

Hard to believe some one gave these boys up, but we are glad mom saw the light after 4 months of them being fosters and decided to make it permanent.  We are very glad you are a part of our "random" family.

So, in honor of mom falling down on the job, we are haffin' a house trashin' pawty. We has Mo breakin' into the freezer for live dead shrimps. We think there is cheese and ham in the fridge. There is nip around here somewhere (we will send Tim on the hunt) and there are clean boxes and water dishes. Sorry - no niptinis...the foster monsters are underage and can't be trusted.

World Cat Day (& Best Friends part 2)

What better way to celebrate then tell you more about the cats at Best Friends. :)

I was spending evenings with DeLynn, her husband Art and their daughter Leah. We ate somewhere different every night and on Saturday night went to see a community production of "7 Brides for 7 Brothers". :)

Saturday I knew where I wanted to volunteer. I headed to Benton's in the morning. Several cats there take walks and I knew morning was the time to do it before the heat of the day. Bob was waiting at the door, but due to spinal damage his bladder needs to be expressed so he can't go for a walk until he pees. So, once they got that done, Bob and I were on our way. He likes to trick-or-treat so we stopped at 3 other cat houses for treats. Everyone knows Bob and has treats ready for him. We may have to start a Bob for President campaign. He also found a red Jeep Cherokee that he seemed to fall in love with and so we spent some time there while he sniffed it all over. 

As you can see, Bob was exhausted after his 30 minute walk. :)
(though most of it was laying around rather than walking)

From there it was on to Koda and Maury. Both were very jealous when Bob left - Koda was crying at the door. Walking cats may be more about wandering and pausing, but it is great to have them be able to get outside and enjoy some enrichment.

 Koda

 Maury

In the afternoon, I went over to Casa de Calmar. This cat house is exclusively for FeLV cats. And yes - they do adopt out these cats. They did 11 adoptions last year. Which doesn't sound huge, but considering these cats need to live with other FeLV cats or need to be the only cat due to how the disease is spread, that number is huge. :)

Again, helped clean a room to get ready for the afternoon tours. Even if you don't volunteer but are in the area, you can contact them and see a video and take a tour of the sanctuary.

After cleaning, I wandered some and sat down in room 3. This lovely medium hair brown tabby boy climbed up in my lap and we spent about 20 minutes together. One of the caregivers passed by and stopped. I kind of froze thinking I was doing something wrong. She said no, but that Doug, the cat in my lap, was very shy and didn't normally ask for attention. I told her that he had been in my lap for a while and came up asking for attention. She said "go Doug" and went back to work. Good to know my mojo is still working.  haha

Sunday found me traveling to Las Vegas. I got to spend a couple of hours with Trish the mom from Kapnip Lounge who then kindly took me to the airport. 

It was a fun trip, but I am glad to be home with my cats, the kittens and sleeping in my own bed.

Marg asked yesterday if I am going to have "question day". Sure....if you have questions about volunteering, Best Friends or just about us (haha), post 'em in the comments and I will try to answer them all - maybe Friday.  :)

[Bear update: we aren't sure what is going on with him. the vet looked at him yesterday and said she wasn't sure - which doesn't make me really happy. he is still with Miss Beckie - he will drink a little KMR on his own but she is having to syringe feed him. paws crossed]

Best Friends

Bear update: Miss Beckie is taking him today to the adoption center to have him tested and have the vet take a look at him. She has been syringe feeding him and he did start to drink a little KMR on his own. Mom and Miss Beckie suspect that something else may be going on with him but the heat just didn't help things.
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I love volunteering at Best Friends. It is so peaceful and just wonderful to be someplace where the welfare of the animals comes above all else. There are perfectly "normal" animals, but there are also those that would never make it in a traditional shelter setting due to illness or medical condition. I certainly hope someday that others will stop their discrimination of cats that aren't "perfect" but until that time I am ever so grateful for Best Friends and other rescues that take in the hard cases.

I spent Friday and Saturday volunteering in Cat World. I have volunteered in Dogtown before, but with the long trip and the heat, I wasn't sure that was such a good idea this trip.

Friday morning I spent in Quincy House which has two FIV+ rooms and some special needs cats. I cleaned and socialized.

Friday afternoon was at Morgaine's Place. While there are some cats with issues there, for the most part these cats are healthy with no major issues. I also helped clean a room and then spent some time sitting around with Mesa and Patrick. Mesa got a bit a 'tude at one point and whapped my hand but Patrick was a true gentleman.

 

Mom is home!!!!!

Oh - and the cool air machine seems to be working again too!!!  Grandpa turned it off yesterday afternoon and then turned it back on last night before he picked mom up from the airport. When she got home (really really late) the whole place had cooled down a lot.

 gratuitous Doc picture

We were all pretty excited to see her. Of course someone moved the gate and she had to spend a few minutes catching the kittens so she could go to bed. :)  Mom said she was amazed how much bigger the alcohol kittens looked after being gone for just a week. No word on Bear yet - she was told that Miss Beckie picked him up and so she is waiting for Miss Beckie to call her back.

Mom's said she is going to tell her story of last week in a couple of installments, so stay tuned.

DeLynn and I left Ohio on Tuesday morning. We made it about 800 miles the first day. DeLynn drives a Honda Civic hybrid. It was the two of us, Jack the 120 pound black lab mix & two cats. Winnie (the younger cat) has traveled many times as she belongs to DeLynn's daughter Leah who goes to school in Montreal. It was Cinnamon we weren't sure about. He is 9 years old, not found of being caught and not fond of the carrier. He spent the first day making some noise, but we expected screaming and he did more of the low level meows. He stopped about 2 hours before we stopped for the night in Kansas (near Fort Riley - I waved to the Army of Four sibes when we passed). Everyone was good at the hotel. Second day we made it to Junction City CO and Cinnamon talked for the first couple of hours and then settled in. We crossed Utah on Thursday and made it to Kanab about 2pm. We crossed 6 states and 2 time zones in 3 days. 

More about Best Friends tomorrow. :)

quick note

Mom helped her friend Miss DeLynn move to Utah. They left on Tuesday and got to Utah on Thursday afternoon - with a big 120 pound lab and 2 cats.  Mom volunteered at Best Friends on Friday and Sunday and is flying home today. She promised to help us post more at that point.

In the meantime, Grandma called her this morning and said the cooling machine isn't working again and man is it hot here. Please be thinking about all of us and the little babies..... grandma opened the windows to let some cool air in and will be checking on us throughout the day.

Wordless Wednesday

Whiskey & Gin say: LET US OUT

new guy??

Mom looked at the picture from yesterday and realized you could see Edison's auction tag. Not sure why the temp foster didn't remove it, but mom did tell the transport coordinator (who was also driving a leg) that it was still on and Chris promised to bring scissors to cut it off. Yes - cut it off - there is no buckle or anything - they are put on and grommeted shut. Just sad.....  But better knowing he and Marie will NEVER wear one again.....  paws crossed for permanent homes soon for the slobbery kids.
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OK - so we teased you yesterday about mom giving two kittens a bath. Mom just takes them in the shower with her. They get more wet and they are shut in behind the shower doors. No one enjoys it, but it seems to be easier than arm wrestling them in the sink - in the shower mom can keep them on the bathtub floor and avoid the pointy parts.

But we would like to tell you WHO got a bath. Cognac has had some....ummmm....issues with the backend. So, he needed to be cleaned up.

The other guy???  Well, when mom stopped at the rescue adoption center the other day, there was a single kitten in a carrier. Seems someone in the shopping center had seen a cat out back and wanted to borrow a trap. The rescue lady went out and it was a little black kitten. She put down food and just grabbed him - no trap needed.

Mom had seen him a few times and finally on Saturday when she was picking up the cats to take to Petco, mom threatened to put him in her pocket. The rescue lady rolled her eyes and said "just take him already". So mom brought him home.

He was the other guy who got a bath. He had a bad case of fleas and got a pill on Friday to kill them all, but mom wanted to be sure he was cleaned up. He was good and then cuddled with mom. And she spent about 15 minuted picking little tiny ticks off of him (and drowning them in rubbing alcohol - best way to kill them). She is pretty sure she got all of them. While she turned him all over while he was drying - and bless him he made biscuits on her arm and PURRED.

The alcohol kittens have pretty much accepted him. He is pretty scared so he spent time with mom while the other group ran around loose several times over the weekend. Doc on the other hand hissed at the poor guy several times.

So, we hope you will help us welcome Bear. (oh and he isn't completely black - he is more a chocolate color with red undercoat - mom is working on a better picture).

Good karma points

we are going to hand this over to mom:

I can only hope that this morning leads to a few good karma points for me.

I had signed up to do a transport of Edison for Ontario Bloodhound Rescue. In order to get to the boarding place to pick him up, I had to be out of the house by 7:20am (and to have time to grab some breakfast for the road).

I got him in the car and he was wonderful. I did discover that the local vet listed him at about 2 years old as opposed to about 7 years old, which is what they announced at the auction. hmmmmm  Anyhow, Edison traveled so well and was a joy. I know his foster family and eventually his forever family is going to love him to pieces.

I got to the handoff spot and got him out to take him for a walk when this little jack russell mix dog came out of the bushes. Pretty dirty, no collar, and not neutered. great.....

The woman driving the next leg got there and held Edison - the little dog was scared of us but pretty interested in the bloodhound. I managed to FINALLY get a leash noosed over his neck and get him in my car. I don't know that area great, but I had passed the humane society. Back in the opposite direction. ok.....

I got there and spoke to someone explaining the situation. He sighed and made a couple of phone calls. He then told me that his director said they can't take the dog and I have to take it to the dog warden. Which is of course, another 15 minutes going away from home.

The dog warden was MUCH nicer. I have to admit, I now completely understand why people get so frustrated when they find animals. I am trying to do the right thing and somehow the burden is on me. Which is fine, I was never going to leave the dog in a parking lot off a 4 lane highway, but the average person may not do that. Anyhow, the dog warden scanned the dog - no chip. He took my information and how I found him. Said there is a 3 day hold and then he will be evaluated for adoption.

I got home and stopped to buy cat litter and discovered the cats hadn't been brought over. Made a phone call and ended up driving over to pick them up and bring them back. Oh and an interloper, but more on that Monday.

Then, home, a shower with a pair of kittens that needed a bath, and some Olympic watching.

The Opening Ceremonies (kitten style)

Yep - they were released on Friday night. They won't be out full time since they are pretty tiny, but they were having fun last night.

Oh, and since you (especially Marg) ask about Bourbon, mom got this too....

thumpin - the movies

All the kittens are doing well. The alcohol kittens will get a little more freedom this weekend since mom will be home a little bit more. Grandma and the kid came over Wednesday night and the kid convinced mom to let Bourbon out - the boy has some serious speed on him. :)

Anyhow, it seems somecats over at Katnip Lounge was tellin' tales about likin' to be whapped (we would link you right to the post, but the mom can't seem to find it). Then someone else posted about it too (we can't link you to that either can't mom can't remember who it was....notice a pattern here???).

So, in the interest of being involved, she decided to get some video of certain parties here (Tim & Tom) who seem to enjoy a good thumpin' on the backside. If mom really gets going, she says she can play Tommy like a bongo (whatever that is) but it requires 2 hands.

She says pardon the video quality - it is hard to thump well and video at the same time. Tommy is first and then Tim:

Thankful Thursday.....

Recognize this face???

This is Wendy the momma cat to the fast food boys. And last week during all the badness, she found her forever home!!! Mom didn't get to meet them, but she knows that the furry alien princess will have them charmed in no time. (all the boys were adopted a couple of weeks ago)

Other good news: remember the slobbery kids that were gotted from the evil puppy mills (read more here). Well, both Marie and Edison are going to long term foster homes!!!! Marie is apparently still pretty skittish, but they say Edison has come around quite a bit. Mom will get to see him on Saturday as she takes the first leg of his transport trip. We are all so very thankful these two are getting a second chance for a MUCH better life.

Doc came through surgery very well. Mom put him in the bathroom with the alcohol kittens but he was being a dork and wasn't being "quiet" so mom just let him out. And he proceeded to run around, beat on his sister, chase Junior and then climb up on the footstool to nap - until gravity kicked in and he slid off. MOL  Still no idea how Sally knew what was going on - mom made the appointment from work. We will try again in another week or so.

Ready or not.....

42??  Thanks for the responses - mom had no idea that Mo had been reading The Hitchhikers Guide. :)

Mom laughed when she saw a post yesterday from repositorio da marilia cause she has a very similar picture of Sally. Mom asks all the time how we sleep like this - we aren't tellin'. :)

Well, mom THOUGHT today is the day....Sally made weight over the weekend so she and Doc were headed to the clinic for surgery..... Mom got over there and they brought Sally back up. She weighs 1.8 pounds. argh!!!! Mom took her BACK home and will pick Doc up after work and they will spend a little time in "recovery" before being allowed to run all over again.

Mom is pretty sure the flashy box is dead. Sometimes it takes ok pictures, and sometimes they look like this:

Poor Sally looks like she has some weird disease.  :)

And if you could spare some purrs for Mahoney, that would be awesome. She is hurty and they aren't sure why.....

Now, for your snickering pleasure, the antics of Doc and Sally.....

Invasion!!!!!

Mom released the foster monsters on Sunday for a little bit. They came storming down the hall and played for quite a bit. It is funny to see them with Doc and Sally who are so much bigger.....

back off big white hairy guy

They were very good and spent over an hour running around until mom put them back. They are still pretty little (all right around a pound with Moonshine & Whiskey being the biggest at just over a pound).
Once mom got everyone back, she realized that Bourbon was MIA. She searched and found him sitting on the stairs watching Doc play in the entry way. She called and Bourbon started bouncing back up the stairs. Mom had to get it on video she was so proud. Some might find it hard to watch cause he does struggle a big (mom cut his nails after this since that seemed to be a big part of his problem) but she was so proud to see the little guy make the effort. He does run funny but he gets around and plays just as hard as all his relatives.

A Junior moment.....

As most of you know by now, our Junior boy doesn't so much like mom. We aren't sure why (other than that formerly feral thing, but for pete's sake, he is 2 yrs old), but he is determined not to be friendly. The best she has been able to do is scratch his back once or twice while he is eating.

Well, over the last week, we have noticed a few things.

We have a routine at night. Feed and clean up after the kittens and play with them for a few minutes. Clean and feed everyone else here (no idea why those kittens get to go first). Then mom does a few things around the house, gets ready for bed and reads in bed for a little bit. Most of us pick a spot on the bed with her and lounge around.

A few days ago, Junior jumped up and looked at mom. He then got back down but didn't run like he normally does.

Last night was huge - mom says it was all she could do not to giggle. Mo, Maestro, Tim and Tom were up on the bed. Tommy was snuggled in next to mom's feet. Mom felt someone jump up on the bed and saw the top of an orange tail over the top of her book....ooooo Junior. She held VERY still.....  Junior walked over to Tommy and got love kisses on the head. And then....Junior laid down next to Tommy. And stayed on the bed for almost 5 minutes. Mom didn't move but kept glacing under the edge of the book to see what was going on. Something in the hall caught Junior's attention (no, it wasn't Spud) and he stretched and walked away.

HOLY MOLY!!!!! Wonders never cease......

Thank you.....

Your words mean more to mom and to us than you will know. It is sad to have anyone leave us but mom feels the babies the worst - she says they have so much potential and none of it will be realized. The good news is that no one else seems to have any symptoms, so hopefully this will all be limited to Amaretto.

In related news, Annie from Krasota Castle has lost her battle and ran for the Bridge as well. If you remember, this crew of kittens had their naming rights auctioned off to help with the family's expenses. We hope Amaretto knows that and met Annie when she got there.....

We don't have many plans for the weekend. Mom mumbled something about a ton of laundry. Doc & Sally need to be vaccinated - so that is part of Saturday. :) (oh, and Doc is scheduled to be n-e-u-t-e-r-e-d next Wednesday - don't tell him)