what if or what is

a post by the mom

A neighbor and I started looking out for the community cats in our neighborhood back in 2010. It all basically started with Junior and Bug. And then we caught a momma cat and discovered the Memorial Day kittens. Things settled down at that point and Carol (the lady on the other side of the neighborhood) was basically feeding 2 cats - Annie (mom to the kittens, best we can tell) and Blackie (not the father).

Allie showed up near my house in 2012, but I have no reason to believe she is related to the other two cats and Carol says she hasn't ever seen her up there.

Last fall we both started seeing a long haired white cat. I was heart broken - had we missed a kitten? But it has been so long, we should have seen this cat before now. Had someone found a kitten and then kicked the cat out of the house? There was no way to know. However, with the weather being SO brutally cold this winter, Carol and I agreed to wait until spring to trap this cat as surgery is hard and recovery in the cold is that much harder.

I would occasionally catch a glimpse of the cat running out of my garage - he certainly wasn't grooming himself very well. Carol was getting a better look at him and agreed he was pretty scruffy.

The end of last week, Carol sent me an email expressing concern about the cat and asking if I thought it would be time to try to trap him. Among other things, he was spraying and her neighbors weren't happy about it.

I took the trap over on Sunday and finally got a good look at him....it was bad. His ears were crusted and bloody. His fur was matted and filthy - and missing in spots. The worst though was his jaw - it appeared to have been broken at some point and healed to where he couldn't move it right and his tongue was hanging out. I told Carol that I would take him to the clinic but that my opinion was that he should be euthanized....he wasn't living, he was existing and more than likely suffering.

I went home that afternoon and the "what ifs" started playing in my head:
What if we had caught him sooner?
What if we missing him as a kitten?
What if 
What if
What if

I knew I had to stop and took a deep breath. Anyone working in welfare - people or animals - will tell you that getting hung up on the what ifs will weigh you down and make you lose your mind. I had to focus on "what is".
What is the current situation?
What is the possible outcomes?
What is the most humane thing I can do for this cat right now?

Tuesday morning we caught him and I took him to the clinic where the rescue gets their spay/neuter done as they are feral friendly. Rather than have a conversation in front of a waiting room full of people, I put a note on the intake sheet explaining....they took him back and said he would get an exam and they would call me.

Rest In Peace Sal

Fly Free over the Rainbow Bridge

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a post script: I wrote most this Tuesday before the vet called me that afternoon. They sedated him to get a better look. He had lost several teeth on the bottom (his jaw was fine) and the rest were pretty infected. He was one giant mat and his body weight was fairly low. They aged him out at approximately 7-9 years old....which means he was more than likely the father of the kittens. And as his body began to fail, he started coming around in order to find food. It doesn't make the story any less heartbreaking, but I can take some comfort in the fact that we most certainly saved him for a long miserable death.

video wednesday

sigh....

Well, we are officially kitten-less. The head of the rescue spoke to mom on Saturday and said Fanta was GOING TO BE NEUTERED. Mom took him to work with her yesterday morning and the rescue lady picked him up and took him to the clinic and was going to give them what-for. After that, he will head to the adoption center and we don't doubt he will get adopted pretty quickly.

However, if you need a kitten fix, there is a momma cat about to pop over at Love and Hisses and the momma cat at Tails from the Foster Kittens has 5 new babies you can see.

And besides, we suspect it won't be long before we are back in business.

weekend report

BREAKING NEWS

ROOTBEER WAS ADOPTED

Mom stopped on Friday after work to drop off Strawberry after the girl was spayed. Normally Strawberry would have come back to the house, but with Fanta still here and trying to nurse, it was a bad idea. While mom was there a nice lady was looking at Rootbeer. Mom spoke to her a while - and mentioned about Fanta still being at the house (you know....in case she wanted a pair). Anyhow, she ended up adopting just Rootbeer, but he went home on Saturday!!!
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Mom spent the weekend yelling at the boys playing basketball on TV.
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With Fanta still here, there was snoozing and shenanigans. Mom wishes there were better pictures of him goofing off like that second picture, but this is the only one that turned out. No idea why he was giving Daiquiri the what-for, but he put on his floof suit and bounced all the way down the hall. Daiquiri never moved....hahaha

random Fridays

Mom took the handle off this basket and put a blanket in it and put in under an end table. It has become a very popular spot - especially since mom moved the table next to the sliding door, so we can snooze here and look out the window. We don't think Tim and Daiquiri are both going to fit in there together much longer though.

Fanta....smug little monkey

Rootbeer - we hope his family shows up quick

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GREAT NEWS.....Faygo was adopted on Sunday after about an hour at the adoption center. He lives with a nice young couple. He will be an only cat (a couple of people tried to convince them to take Rootbeer too but they are sure they want only one). Concats sweet boy!  Mom got to meet his new dad on Sunday and gave him her card, so maybe we will get an update.

Thankful Thursday

Today mom says she is kind of thankful that Strawberry is going to be spayed tomorrow and then will go up to the adoption center. MOL  Strawberry is getting a little....feisty. haha She is already on petfinder and Colony's website (in case you or someone you know is looking for a nice medium hair gray lady cat).

Honestly, she is probably going to be thankful to get away from Fanta....

Oh - and on that note, it is still gonna be a couple of weeks that Fanta is here. Oh joy....cause that boy is BORED by himself and apparently Daiquiri isn't supplying enough entertainment for him.

wouldn't we all like to be #PawNatural

This post is sponsored by Only Natural Pet, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Only Natural Pet Feline PowerFood , but Random Felines only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Only Natural Pet is not responsible for the content of this article.
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we were approached to try out a new food from Only Natural Pet ®

Well, far be it from us to turn that down. Turns out that a holistic vet has formulated a new natural cat food (available April 1) called Feline PowerFood™ that is pretty much allergy free - no gluten, no grains, no wheat or corn. And made in the USA. Only Natural Pet is an online store specializing in high end foods and supplies. But this new brand is formulated specifically for them.

This is what Only Natural Pet has to say about their new food:
"Packed with protein, amino acids and essential fatty acids, the PowerFood™ is formulated using the whole prey model of our cats ancestors. Feline PowerFood™ comes in two formulas, Fish and Fowl Dinner and Poultry Dinner (an indoor cat formula), rich with the nutritional benefits of fresh meat, wholesome fats and balanced calories. Kittens and adult cats will benefit from the grain free, highly digestible diets designed for a cat’s optimal health."

We got a sample bag of Fish and Fowl dinner dry food, cans of chicken, turkey and seafood (separate cans MOL), and a bag of vitamin treats. Plus there was a book for mom and a tote bag too.

 Daiquiri of course had to check out the box when mom opened it. Quality control and all that.

 Mom tried the vitamin treats out. While we tell people there isn't much we won't eat, these weren't a big hit. As you can see below, Mo ate them as did a couple of the rest of us, but for the most part we weren't too interested. Mom isn't sure if it was the texture or the size....they were a little big.

 Mom took the canned food in and let Strawberry and the kittens taste test it for us. They loved it. All three flavors were a hit. It is all pate style. Mom said it all smelled like it was labeled....so we guess that is a good sign. Our taste testers give it 4 paws up.

 Mom wasn't sure what we would do about the dry food. We have been eating the same brand for many years. There was some preliminary sniffing and then everyone dug right it. The pieces are a nice smaller size. It doesn't go on sale until April but mom is interested to see the price listed. She has been thinking about switching us to something else but price is an issue around here. But for taste and ingredient list, this was a hit.

We want to thank Only Natural Pets for giving us a chance to taste test their products. They also sell other items for cats and dogs on their website - which is easy to navigate and mom spent some time wandering around. They have a wide assortment of items from food to litter to treats to toys and trees. Free shipping over $79 and flat rate shipping on everything else. Plus you can set up a repeat order so that you don't have to worry about your humans forgetting to shop.


You can find them online here: website, facebook, twitter, you tube

snoozin

Fanta

Rootbeer fell asleep on the back of mom's chair on Saturday

That pillow isn't attached, so she had to grab him before standing up

Strawberry

Isn't she lovely???

Those kittens love their momma.....

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our grandpa today!!!

weekend report

Mom took the boys to an adoption event on Saturday. Fanta can't be adopted yet, but she figured it would be a good opportunity to get him seen.

It is tough being out in public and adored for being cute. 

There was a couple that came in and saw Faygo and filled out an application. But after mom checked with their landlord and called the couple back, they changed their mind. Sunday mom took Rootbeer and Faygo up to the adoption center. As mom was leaving a nice 20-something guy was filling out an application on Faygo. YAY!!!

The head of the rescue said to get Strawberry spayed, so mom is going to call and get her appointment set up for this week.

Mom spent the rest of the weekend yelling at the TV. The Spartans moved on, so more yelling next weekend. MOL

Random Friday

This lasted about 2 minutes before one of the kittens ran up behind her and she decided to find somewhere else to hide nap.

Dat Rootbeer loves his mama.

Fanta and Faygo

(Fanta doesn't look quite so snarky now that his cold cleared up)

Surgery went well.....except for Fanta who basically spent the day at the clinic hanging out. Seems not all his man parts had come in yet, so they want to wait a couple of weeks and THEN neuter him.

Mom was supposed to do a transport tomorrow but it was cancelled. Two little old lady beagles were going from a shelter to rescue. Well....one little old lady got adopted by a volunteer. And then yesterday afternoon someone from the public came in and adopted the other one. Mom says that is a GREAT reason to cancel. Concats to the ladies and their new families.

Mom will take the kitts to an adoption event on Saturday. If no takers, then Faygo and Rootbeer will go up to the adoption center. Fanta will come back here until he is neutered. Don't feel bad....Daiquiri thinks the kittens are awesome so he will have someone to play with.

We are preparing for much screaming and moaning around here this weekend. For those that haven't notice, there is something called March Madness going on.....mom LOVES it. sigh......

It is that time

Breaking news: 8:24am somewhere in Ohio......
   Strawberry was still nursing the kittens so mom left her at home and she will get spayed next week (or so).

   In other breaking news, mom sucks at sexing kittens. MOL  Turns out we don't have one boy and two girls.....we have 3 BOYS!! Lucky for mom the names still work.

  Pick up is tonight after 5pm.
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The time has come....Strawberry and her kittens will be dropped off this morning (about 8am) at the clinic to be spayed and neutered. Normally momma cats stick around for a little bit after kittens leave to "dry out" but Strawberry, despite being harassed by her kittens, is done nursing, so she will go as well.

Hopefully it will all go well. Mom has an adoption event scheduled for Saturday so they will go with her to that and hopefully we can get them homes quick. They are just a nice group of kittens and Strawberry is sweet and relaxed.

Those kittens sure are bitey though.....

Video Wednesday

Sorry we are a little late.....

review from #Chewy

We participate in the blogger review for Chewy.com and while we get the treats for free, our opinions are always our own.

This time we got a bag of Salmon and Cranberries Kittles by Wellness. Mom said we have had enough treats (HEY!!!) so she decided to do something different and took the bag with her last week to the shelter and asked for the kitties there to help her with the review.

Tiger thought they were pretty nommy. Tiger is a 4 year old male who is pretty new to the shelter. Mom loves those big headed boys and he is one of them. Super sweet - though when he is in his cage he puts up a protest until someone lets him out.

He was pretty gentle about taking the treats from mom.

You remember our buddy Moses from last week's Opt to Adopt right?? Well, he still hasn't found his forever home, but he was more than happy to try out the treats and have them 2 paws up. Moses lives in a cage in the lobby but staff lets him wander during the day. Which explains why he is up on the counter.... when his cage door opens...he is OUTTA there.  MOL

This is Bermuda. She was a fan of the treats as well. This lovely 4 year old girl was found by a good samaritan and is looking for a quiet home of her own. She got a break from the shelter in a foster home for a couple of weeks and her foster mom says she is super sweet and even slept in the bed.

**thurp**

And this is Jax. He was adopted from the shelter as a kitten and was recently brought back after two years. (mom is rolling her eyes cause the return reason was just dumb...the guy got a new job and new girlfriend) Anyhow, Jax is always looking for fun. After handing out treats to all the kitties in the shelter, mom put the bag and her camera back in her coat pocket. And then found this (see below):

Yep - those are fang marks. Three different times mom put the treats away and Jax would jump up on the counter, get them out of the pocket and drag them off. After the last time - mom put JAX away. MOL

And don't worry....she brought the bag home and shared some with us too. At only 2 calories per treat and grain-free, these are a good thing with us!!  7 paws up

weekend report

There was some serious snoozing going on around here. Mom was supposed to be somewhere all day on Saturday, but her plans fell through. She ended up going to Petsmart for an adoption event. And since one cat was going home, mom took Sonata with her and Sonata is now over there waiting to be adopted. We sure hope her family comes soon....Sonata wasn't too happy about being left at the store.

There was some of this on Caturday....the kittens are getting bigger and Rootbeer thought he might give his momma some attitude. Let's just say it didn't end well for him. MOL

And of course there was lots of goofing around. The kittens are at the into everything and everything is a toy stage....which is a lot of fun. Their momma on the other hand is more into the snoozing-leave-me-alone stage.

monkey see monkey do

checking out the upper levels for other cats

this maneuver makes mom nervous

We think that is Faygo following Daiquiri up the tree....they haven't made it up very far yet, but they are loving the lower steps.

Daiquiri treats the ladder like her own personal jungle gym - up down and over. The little kittens was in fascination but aren't quite big enough yet to go from step to step. They can get up on the bottom one, but can't reach up from there ....yet!!

wordless Wednesday

Opt to Adopt - Moses and Abby

For all the promoting that we do of house panthers around here, a lot of people are surprised we only have one. But we tell people that mom doesn't even remember the last time she actually went "looking" to adopt, so she gets what she gets. MOL

We do have a rather handsome house panther to tell you about today. Moses is at the shelter where mom volunteers every other week and she is more than a little in love with him.

Moses is about 4 years old, neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and tested negative for FIV/FeLV. He is super sweet and gets along with most everyone he meets. He is a big guy and just a lover. Mom isn't exactly sure how long he has been at the shelter, but it has been at least since last fall. There have been a couple of sales and yet Moses still gets overlooked.

But how can you resist this???


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We wanted to remind you too about Miss Abby over at Tails from the Foster Kittens. While she is diabetic, it is SO easy to control and our friend Miss Connie would really like to get her placed into a home from being in foster care. If you know of anyone interested, please let us know or send them over to Miss Connie for more information.

Our friends at Paws and Effect wrote a great article about diabetic cats that is a great read as well as an article Miss Connie wrote as well.

weekend wrapup

Faygo

(no, she isn't normally that snarky)

Rootbeer

Fanta

(her URI moved to her one eye and it is a little scarred 

but doesn't seem to bother her)

Strawberry

(mom didn't see Fanta back there until loading the picture)

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The kittens were allowed out of the bathroom for most of the weekend. It went pretty well and they seemed to have a great time. Strawberry is mostly behaving...she parks herself in strange places in the hall and that makes Spud a little nervous, but Strawberry is pretty laid back about the kittens being out and about.

Daiquiri is having a good time with them. She isn't very sure what to do with them sometimes, but she has been good with them. There have only been a couple of times that mom has had to tell her to be gentle.

Couple of weeks and they go for surgery and will be looking for new homes.