Caturday: Ozzy and other declawed cats...

I had a post all ready to go this weekend about kitty cat number two that stayed with my family, Roo. However, I happen to be house sitting this weekend and was inspired to write about a different cat, one that's been curling up to sleep with me and hold a very valuable lesson.

This is Ozzy and he is adorable! He likes to snuggle, he likes to talk, he has a cute face with big green eyes, he's very social, he was saved from a shelter by his mom, he'll greet you at the door, he's insisting I ignore his mom's orders to not give him wet food and he doesn't always use his litter box.

Yes, at least once or twice a day, Ozzy will go over to the bottom of the steps and go to the bathroom. His mom has even put a litter box there, which Ozzy is usually 6 - 12 inches away from when he continues to go to the bathroom on the floor. There's "cat attract" in the litter, it's a big, kept-clean box with soft litter and yet Ozzy won't use it. You see, Ozzy is declawed and one of the side effects of getting your cat declawed, as some people may or may not know (or acknowledge), is that sometimes they develop litter box issues for whatever reasons - it's painful? it feels funny?

This Ozzy-inspired post is to help educate people that don't know about this issue.

One of the main theories with this side effect of declawing is that your cat's claw is not just a toenail. It is actually closely attached to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's foot has to be removed. Look at your own hand. This is not a manicure you're getting done, the surgery on a human would be like removing to the first knuckle on each finger. Keep in mind also that cats need to use this area to walk, balance and dig to go to the bathroom immediately after surgery. This is painful right after surgery and can also affect the nerves, meaning it could be permanently painful or, perhaps, feel weird and tingly like when you hit your "funny bone".

Also keep in mind that when you declaw a new kitten, they're still growing and developing so behavioral issues might not show up immediately. Like a younger person or child, a kitten might spring back from surgery ... but develop problems as they age and their body matures. My grandparents and aunts thought it best I not know they plained on declawing their beautiful kitten. If they had, perhaps I could have warned them of an issue that developed about a year later ... she started peeing not in her litter box!

Going outside the litter box has often been deemed a "behavior problem" and has been noted as one of the behavior problems that can develop. "These behaviors include biting and urinating or defecating in unwanted areas outside of the litter box". Be it painful, an increase in fear (biting is a cat's last and only method to defends its self when you take away its claws) or the cat is in pain and so its hiding, behavioral problems are a side effect of declawing.

Although these problems do not always develop after being declawed, do you really want to risk your super sweet cat turning into a biter or adding the 2x's (or more) daily routine of having to clean up after your cat when it refuses to use the litter box? And I don't care if you've never had a problem with any of these types of issues. The facts are the fact and why make an animal go through that? Oh, and in England declawing is termed "inhumane" and "unnecessary mutilation." And let's keep in mind, this is from the people who are the inventors of things like "Halifax Gibbet" (AKA the guillotine).

There are other options. Much like you'd train your new dog not to chew on the furniture, train your cat to use a scratching post. If they have a favorite spot to nap at or are particularly attracted to one corner of the sofa, try to put a scratching post near by that area. This is not always an easy task, but with time, patience and practice (just like training a new puppy), you can train your kitten/cat.

You can also use deterrents, like spraying your cat's bottom with a water bottle whenever you catch them scratching the furniture or giving a quick clap to startle them into stopping. Then, pick them up and take them to the closet scratching post. You can also use double-sided tape or tin foil on certain surfaces to try to help keep your cat away too.

If you adopt a cat who is already declawed and having litter box troubles, clean up the spots you find immediately! Just because you can't smell it, doesn't mean your cat won't and this will attract them back to the spot to go to the bathroom again. I hear this "recipe" works great (also this website is awesome - lucky australian cats!). You can also try...

- keeping the cat confined in a small bathroom or even large dog crate for a little while to try to "re-train" them to use the litter box (sometimes in a big, new house it's easier to pee on the soft, comfy floor next to them then try to find the litter box down two stair cases in the scary basement)
- increasing the number of litter boxes around the home (perhaps your one smells like your current cat and your new cat is nervous about using it)
- putting a litter box where the cat is going to the bathroom and slowly over a week or two, move it gradually back to its original location
- seeing a veterinarian about getting behavioral medications
- try different litter types, especially with declawed cats. Sometimes softer, finer litter will feel less odd/painful when they have to dig. Also, you can try using shredded newspaper. It doesn't do much to cover up smell, but it does work with some declawed cats with sensitive feet because they just need to gently push some paper aside instead of having to dig to go to the bathroom
- doing what Ozzy's mom does - put a huge chunk of plastic down where the cat goes to the bathroom and simply keeping on top of cleaning up any messes

I hope this week's post helps some cats and their owners out!

Caturday: Halloween

Not that Halloween ... no, this Halloween!!

For the life of me, I don't understand why she's still here: she's affectionate, adorable and highly adoptable. FIV+ cats not living with negative cats is all pish-posh too. So not true! Halloween (affectionately known as "Weenie") is spayed and very friendly. She lived with other cats before and seems to have no problem interacting with my kitties through the window, so she wouldn't be starting fights with a proper introduction.

Honestly, I'm feeling horrible that she's here still as well. It's getting so cold outside (there was frost outside in the morning this week!) and she's on the porch, which has no insulation or heat. I refuse to bring Weenie in though because then she's going to be our cat forever for sure, which means I'll get blamed for another cat ... even though she's my sister's friend's former cat. I can't just toss her outside either though because she's so sweet & FIV+ - she deserves and needs a safe, inside home that'll spoil her and keep her as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

You see the tough spot I'm in? She needs a home! In the mean time, she'll continue to be on the enclosed front porch and I'll spoil her as much as possible - good food, toys, snuggly blankets, beds and, soon enough, a heat lamp set up for the winter nights that are just around the corner.

Did I mention she needs a home? Anyone interested in this doll baby???

National Feral Cat Days

Not only is it Caturday, but today is National Feral Cat Day! Every year on October 16th I celebrate this day whether it is by being out at an event or just keeping the special day in the back of my mind.

11,000 animals (like Cooper on your couch and Oscar on your window sill) are put to sleep every day in shelter. There are simply not enough homes for all of them, let alone the countless others born outside and raised as ferals.

Leaps and bounds have been made over the years to help feral cats and the cat over-population problem. These cats have learned to be afraid of people, so they cannot simply be brought to shelters and adopted out. Removing them to be euthanized is not an option either because cats are there for a reason: warmth, a food sources, other cats to mate with, etc.

TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) is the only method proven to be humane and effective at controlling feral cat population growth.

Even Disneyland embraces TNR!


More information and facts on TNR can be picked up on these websites for those of you that love cats (or hate them) and want to know how to better manage them to prevent more

- Alley Cat Allies
- Feral Cat Coalition
- Neighborhood Cats

Here are two great events to keep in mind to help celebrate this day:

What: STAF's 13th Annual Paws in the Park
When: Saturday, October 16th, 2010. Registration Time is at 10:00 AM
Where: Fasola Park, Delsea Drive, Deptford, NJ
Why: A great event for a wonderful organization and cause. Also, Joa's Arc's Nennee and Minenn will be there with some of our best volunteers!

What: TNR Workshop
When: Wednesday, October 20th, 2010, at 7 PM.
Where: the Cherry Hill Library in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Why: A wonderful opportunity to learn about TNR from some of the best feral, TNR, spay/neuter clinic experts and volunteers in the South Jersey area.

Have a wonderful day, friends, however you might be celebrating!

"You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

Caturday: 3 Cats & A Funeral

My sister has been making arrangements to take her friend's dad's outside cats because he is moving away. She got my mom's ok to add them as barn cats and my sister also asked me to go with her to meet the three cats - all boys she tells me and the one might be declawed (and outside?!).

I go with her and the first cat we see is "Weenie" (aka Halloween)... "Ugh," I say to my sister, "Are you sure all the cats are boys?? Because never in my life have I seen a calico boy! It's like 1 in a million!" (calico cats) Hmm, definitely a girl! (I checked) And an affectionate one too! Weenie is so friendly, that after rubbing up against my sister while she pet her, Ween then jumped down and followed my sister over to where I was ... checking out "the boys" - the other two cats, who were in fact male. :)

Boy #1 was Chloe - yes, Chloe is a boy cat. He also happens to be declawed - I checked that as well. I picked him up and touched his tiny paws - yup, definitely maimed (declawing info here). A nice boy though! I mean, he let me pick him up and everything. Apparently, an ex left him behind when the relationship ended and so the family put Chloe out so he'd have the company of the other cats. I don't know how long he'd been out, but obviously, he was my top concern and priority. I didn't feel comfortable bringing him to our place to be a barn cat when he had no claws. I mean, what would happen if whatever killed the ducks came back?? Or if the rumor is true about coyotes in our area now?! Ugh, no! I worry about my tough guy ferals enough as it is, this nice, declawed guy I had to find an inside home for!

And then there was Joey - a big white with orange spots guy who was buddies with Chloe. Could I find them a home together? Well, it was hard to evaluate him on a friendly scale since he didn't really let me touch him. He ran off at one point, but only a few feet... I could get close, but I wasn't able to touch him.

After agreeing to take them, the grandmother in this family was quick to call Michelle and essentially demand she remove the cats on Friday ... while my sister would be away. Coincidentally , Friday also happened to be the services and funeral of my Aunt Mar's uncle, Edward P. Henry, which we planned to attend to support my Aunt Mar and her family who my family has known for so long. This was obviously going to be a very hectic day...

My mom and I attended the services Friday morning to support my Aunt Mat, giving our condolences and staying at the church until my Aunt Mar's husband showed up. Then, my mom and I headed out to catch the cats...

Attire for this event: dress pants, a nice shirt with a t-shirt thrown over it and I remembered to change out of my heels
Tools: 3 carriers of various sizes, a trap, some newspaper and 2 cans of smelly, yummy cat food
Then plan: get Weenie & Chloe who we could probably pick up and I had places arranged for, attempt to get Joey and set trap for him if necessary
Arrangements: Weenie to a woman who a volunteer I'm friends with knows, Chloe possibly to a person looking for a declawed cat who knows a rescuer who knows a friend of mine (or the local shelter where I know someone who will keep him safe and said he'd quickly be adopted out) and Joey to our back barn.

What actually happened??
- Chloe was caught easily. Weenie, the same. She was sprawled out in a sunny spot and let us pick her up. Joey we did have to set a trap and leave him for. His adoption got re-arranged, but they couldn't pick him up for a day or two, so he stayed in our bathroom for that time period.
- Weenie went to her foster home, get vaccinated, tested and ended up having FIV :( Her foster home knew all the facts, but had two immune compromised cats and didn't want to risk anything
- Joey was trapped fairly quickly and he came back to spend some quality, goodbye time with his buddy, Chloe, in the house where Joey definitely proved to be more feral than friendly - shying away and hiding, which consisted of smushing himself under our towel cabinet at one point. He's huge!! I have no idea how he fit himself under there...

Caturday: Valentine

I'm not sure there's a more appropriate kitty to post this Saturday than the cat all over the news ... and the cat that's part of Joa's Arc (the awesome group I volunteer for): Valentine!

Valentine is recovering well and getting lots of well wishes sent her way too. Thank you to the media and all those who cared enough to get the message out about her. Hopefully with the newly increased reward (now at $1,000 from the NJSPCA) and all the attention she's gotten, we'll finally have some justice for the awful act done to her.


Popular perhaps? Check out some of these articles and media clips on Valentine from just this week:
- KYW: Reward Offered for Villain Who Shot Cat With Blow Dart in NJ
- My Fox Philly: 'Valentine' Hit By Dart, Reward Offered
- Gloucester County Times: Authorities probe case of cat found in Gloucester County with dart stuck in eye
- 6 ABC Action News: Suspect sought after cat shot in the eye
- NBC Philadelphia: Cat Shot In Eye With Dart
- Examiner.Com: Valentine, a cat shot in the head with a dart
- People Magazine's Pet Page: Cat Shot with Dart 'Has a Will to Live'
- Love Meow: Cat Shot with a Dart Recovering
- Examiner.Com: NJSPCA increases reward to $1000 for info on Valentine, cat shot through eye with blow dart

Again thank you, thank you, thank you!

Can you fire aunts???

I'm thinking I'm going to have to fire my aunt. Can you do that? Can you fire aunts? Seriously. "Ahahaha. Call me when you're awake. I have a cat story for you," she wrote in a text to me this morning ... and I'd been up since before 7 AM, by the way, when she sent that at like 9:30!

When I call her back, it's not a funny cat story though. No, no, no , no, no. Of course not! No, it's, "Oh, we heard Lizzie (my aunts' MALE feral Maine Coon mix) coming through the woods this morning to eat and we were shining our flash lights around in the dark as he approaches from the woods. We spotted Lizzie's eyes and then we saw Joanie (another feral - the sweetest weirdest feral you'll meet) ... and then the flash light goes across more eyes." Um, what?!! "Kittens. Kittens!" she says to me all excited.

Shoot me.

First off, I had this lick your face, chew on your hair, bit your toes through your blanket if you dared to shift your legs while sleeping, hide in the Christmas tree and attack you brat for months this past Fall/Winter until she was finally adopted. And when she was, I was sure my aunt was going to hate my forever for not keeping her ... because, you know, I need a 9th cat and that love hog of a kitten wouldn't have been happier in a home where she got all the attention on her instead of her and 8 others. (<--- that's sarcastic by the way. She loves her new home where it's just her and one other cat who's more independent, so Olive, now Olivia, gets to hog all the attention she wants from their mom).

Also, this will be kitten number 2 and 3 that my aunt has had just stroll into her backyard in the last 6 months. I do not like those odds ... and it's not even kitten season yet! Ugh. No more kittens, please!! I don't care how pretty or nice they are. My mom is going to kill me if I bring these two home. If they're as nice as my aunt says they are, I'm seeing if someone else can foster them or something. My big cage is already occupied "re-socializing" one of my own cats. Even if I had another cage, I'm heading off to Florida soon to visit friends and I'm not leaving my mom more work to do/animals to care for. No way!

And my aunt tells me they just strolled right up to her and started head butting her hand. Great! So they're definitely social and not ones we can just catch and fix and leave in my aunts' yard for them to continue to feed & care for. No, no. They're sweeties, my aunt tells me, sweeties shouldn't stay outside!


Not to mention, who leaves babies out in the cold?! Stupid neighbors who probably let these little munchkins out this AM to wander over to my aunts' (my guess since I haven't seen them outside yet while I've been here). Silly aunt for not snatching them up this morning and calling me. In case you don't recall, we have a ridiculous amount of snow right now and more coming! My aunt is lucky I love her, otherwise I'd consider spitting on her too like I want to do to the dang neighbors of her's who keep letting their cats out UNFIXED to reproduce and sneak into my aunts' yard for all of us to spot and then start worrying about. Ugh

Caturday: Lucy

There's something about Lucy's photo that I just loved. Maybe it's those big, beautiful eyes. Lucy is available for adoption through North Shore Animal League. Here's the info on her...


Adoption #: R92274
Gender: Female
Age: Adult

Lucy is a sweet older cat who loves to just cuddle. She looks for people to make friends with and would love to be in a nice quiet home where she could curl up on the couch with someone. Her pretty face and mesmerizing eyes call out for the perfect home. So if you want a kitty with personality plus lots of love to give, come to the Animal League and adopt Lucy today.

If you are interested in adopting Lucy, contact ChristinaT@AnimalLeague.org

I hope you find love this Valentine's Day, Lucy, and a forever home very soon too.

Caturday: Tilly

Tilly is a cat I found out about last Caturday and spent several days returning to a pig farm to look for her. I was giving up after my third visit, when I randomly went back and spotted her! I'm not sure I'll be able to forget her big eyes and then the moment she got up and took off, dragging her back end in an attempt to get away from me. She's a Joa's Arc kitty and I wrote Tilly her very own post there. Tilly is just another example of the amazing spirit and drive to survive that these special needs animals prove to us that they have. The things we can learn from them!

Enjoy the post and enjoy your Caturday! :)

Caturday: Munson

Ohh, Caturday, welcome once more.

Meet this handsome, handsome guy, Munson. His gorgeous face (and markings) caught my attention. He's for adoption through Paws For Life Coalition, a wonderful, local rescue doing all it can to help the animals.

Munson was abandoned in a rusty old trap along with his brother, in front of a shelter. He is super sweet, talkivtive and a purring machine.
He is neutered, up to date on his shots, negative for FIV/FeLv, wormed, flea treated, and microchipped. He is about 9 months old.

No small children under 12 please.
Vet refs required
All cats and kittens in private home foster care require an approved application in order to show them.
We do not adopt our cats out beyond a 4 county area from Camden County. We also cannot return out of area phone calls. Thank you for your understanding!
Please email pawsforlife1@aol.com for more info!

Caturday: Skyee & Garage Cats

This gorgeous girl is Skyee out at Best Friends Society in Utah.

Breed: Siamese
Gender: Female
Age: Mature
Size: Medium

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."

Skyee can't help it! She's an old girl, but it hasn't toned down her beauty one bit. And she enjoys being gorgeous, because she loves chatting with people "meow, meow", and even gently playing.

Skyee used to be terribly standoffish, but age has made her much more friendly. And she's ready, at her ripe age, to find the home that's eluded her for so long. (She came to Best Friends long ago from a shelter in California that was closing down, and she's never been adopted!)

Skyee gets along beautifully with other cats. Children should be older just because she used to be so skittish - we wouldn't want those tendencies to return!

She's a lovely cat with a lovely personality. And it would be wonderful if she could find a happy ending at last in these golden years.

Wishing you luck and love this holiday season, Skyee.

~*~


I was going to post the simple fact I had finally set up the porch for the garage cats for the winter, but then I figured - why be simple? :) So, here's a little introduction to the garage kitties.

We have 6 cats that I know of on the farm who have hung around or shown up. The garage 3 are the more social group of cats we have here on the farm. Spring, summer and into the fall, they mostly live in the Conestoga building we have right by the house which has a lot furniture from our old home (the cat particularly like curling up in the upside down chairs), my dad's tools and some of my rescue stuff - a few cages and a trap or two. However, for the winter, I set up the side porch (which has a hole cut into the screen for them to come in through) with a heat lamp, some soft blankets and a bed that warms up a bit too. The screen door and window also get covered up with plexi-glass so the kitties can still see out, but there's no real breeze in there. This year, they'll have to deal with the unplugged, no longer being used refrigerator, but I think they'll manage - less room, which means more snuggling :)

Here's who will be on the porch this winter, the garage kitties one by one...

Meet Norman - a huge beast of a cat who also happens to be FIV+ and a real love bug - no fighting from him so far. Norman I brought on in a desperate attempt to get Wilson to eat - I'd had him for about 2 weeks and he rarely ate a thing I left for him. Thinking he was lonely, I brought Norman in ... this is how he got his name. Although Wilson was named for the volleyball in Castaway, I always thought of the neighbor from Home Improvement - "howdy ho, neighbor", which is also the cute phrase the old man, Norm, I grew up next to used to greet us all the time. So, Wilson and Norman, the cheery older neighbors. Norman remains pretty evasive, though sometimes he'll let me pet him. I don't think he'll ever be as affectionate as he was when his best friend for life was still around, Buddy. Looking at Norman makes me still ache for Buddy and the pals they were together. He's also the biggest wanderer out of the garage cats. I've seen him everywhere from back by the back barn (trying to steal food for the kitties back there) to in the woods to down near the front of the lake ... I promptly hollered at him for that - once passed the lake, it's only another say, 50 feet to the road.

This little lady is simply known as "Momma" or "Irish Momma". She came to me from my great uncle who was feeding a cat outside his home and one day she brought him kittens. I sat outside for hours until I caught them all - the whole litter consisted of 4 female kittens. I hate to think how many kittens there would have been if I hadn't caught them!!! All the little girls were given Irish names (my great uncle is VERY Irish) and adopted out in pairs. Irish Momma wasn't a friendly house cat though, so I set her up in the garage where she has never left. I pet her for the first time in, wow, maybe the 4 years I've had her just the other day while she was eating. She's always around, but won't let me approach her. She's endeared herself to me with how adorable she is though. Her favorite spot? The stairs leading up into the hot tub or on top of the cover. She's a smart girl! :) I don't know if it's because she came from a small town with busy roads, but she's the least likely to wander. She's always pretty much in the garage, by the hot tub or in the garden between the garage and the house, though sometimes she'll wander up to the front porch ... so, as far as I know, her life consists of mainly a, max, 75 foot radius.

The most recent addition to the garage crew is Champ. I had just lost Buddy recently when a new cat was coming into work. The business behind us, Champion Tire, was nice enough to feed and love up some ferals (all fixed), but someone had dropped off a cat recently and they were just maxed out. Work agreed to take the cat in and try to adopt it out ... however, while doing our intake exam, we found out the poor guy was FIV+ and our FIV Suite was already full. Fresh from the loss of Buddy and looking at this poor kitty who was FIV+ like Norman and now with an unknown future (the tire place didn't want him, that's why he came to us and we couldn't keep him because we were already too full), I took it all as a sign and agreed to take him. "Champ" came home with me and though he's not wrapped up with Norman like Buddy used to be, the two seem to hang out a bit and he's a nice addition. I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo, but he's a real beast of a cat - huge! Long legs and a stomach that looks like he's swallowed a basket ball.

To say the kids were excited the side porch was set up is an understatement. As soon as I was out there, Irish Momma was walking in and out of the hole in the door, Norman was sitting at the bottom of the steps and even Champ wandered by as I set everything up for them. Below is a photo of the garage cats already settling into the side porch: Champ curled up under the heat lamp and Irish Momma eating. Norman's either off wandering or maybe tucked behind Champ. Nothing was more adorable than when Norman and Buddy used to both curl up in the heated bed together! Sometimes the only sign they were both in there was what looked like a fifth white paw on Norman - Buddy would be buried under him asleep with just his little foot sticking out from under Norm.

Caturday Introduces Gabriel

This adorable little guy is Gabriel and we're giving him a special introduction today because not only is he a special guy, but my friend Joyce is fostering him. Gabriel is about 6 weeks old and needs an extra special home.

A woman took in a pregnant cat who gave birth to a healthy litter of kittens ... However, the woman's dog got a hold of one of the kittens and shook it. The poor kitten's back was broken and he was unable to walk. So, the woman put the kitten in a cardboard box and put the box out on her porch.

Luckily a neighbor found out about this, posted the situation out and someone else contacted my friend Joyce. The kitten, now named Gabriel was brought from Jersey City down to my friend Joyce's in South Jersey!

Sadly, the damage done to poor Gabriel by the dog was permanent and he needs his bladder expressed manually. However, more important than that is the fact that little Gabriel is such a love! He zips around on his two good legs and deserves a home of his own. If you already know how to manage a paraplegic kitty or are willing to learn (it's not that bad), please let me know and I'll put you in touch with Joyce. This special guy deserves a great home. Please help us find it for him!

Tabby's Place - Donny

I felt the need to blog about Donny today. He’s in need of some good thoughts, friends, and some extra special attention – via my blog right now since he needs his sleep as well.

“Donny Brook”, better known around here as Donny, is an adorable little marmalade boy that came to Tabby’s Place towards the end of the summer of 2008 (I was out after my surgery when he first arrived). He, along with his little family, came to us from a shelter in NY when he was still very little and nursing from his mom. Just when Donny was big enough to be fixed and potentially be adopted, we found out he had ringworm and into treatment he went … and remained for a very long time.

After being treated for ringworm for about 4 months (because several kitties that we got from that NY shelter had the most persistent damn darn ringworm), Donny was finally out of a cage and free to run around our lobby area. He was able to be socialized by all, loved up, have play time with his brother Ulysses and our paraplegic boy, Tashi, and was able to seen by the nice people that come to visit us here at Tabby's Place – all new things after being caged for so long due to that pesky ringworm, all things that could lead him to finding a great home of his own – and he did! A volunteer fell for that sweet face of his.

However, while out and running around, it was noticed that Donny had a funny way of walking … and running … and lying around. Then, the thought occurred to us, “Hey, maybe all that hissing and 'attitude' was not poor socialization, but a reaction to pain? Maybe there was something wrong with our boy?”

As it turns out, Donny has luxating patellas in his hind legs, meaning his knee caps have a tendency to slip in and out of place. Although some cats do fine with this condition, Donny appears to be very uncomfortable. We were told he definitely needs surgery on one knee, most likely needs surgery on his other knee and depending on how those surgeries go, Donny might also need a third surgery done on his one hip. That would be three surgeries his intended adopter could not plan for or possibly even pay for. Not to mention, just when he got out of a cage and free from ringworm, he’ll need to be on strict cage rest for at least 2 months after surgery, which means Donny might be caged for the next 6 – 9 months if he needs all 3 surgeries.


Donny already had one surgery at the end of the last week and Donny’s in a great deal of pain now. Not only is recovery rough in general, but the poor guy just wants to get at you for some love and that means he's moving and causing himself incredible pain!

Have you ever known someone that needed knee surgery done? Do you know how much you use your knee throughout the day? Now imagine having a surgery to fix your knee (possibly even involving shaving away at the bone so that the knee cap can fit properly) and no one being able to explain to you not to use it! Donny has no idea that just lying in one place with make life easier (not "pain-free", but definitely more stable). The best we can do is provide pain meds, make sure there’s a lot of padding around him and remind Donny that we love him (which, of course, includes signing his bandages).

Please send Donny some good thoughts ... and donations are always appreciated. It is generous people just like you who have taken the time to read this that allow Tabby's Place to care for kitties like Donny and the rest of the cats here.

On a totally different note: things that rock – Hocus Pocus ... but I've missed most of it, so I'm going to watch Medium instead since that rocks too

*note - check out the labels and you'll see "TP". I've said this before and I'll say it here again, I do that to try to keep my personal blog from popping up on search engines for my work place, but since this entry is about Donny and the amazing work Tabby's Place does, I referred to this great place by its proper name in this entry.

Ruby

That is my Ruby ... well, was my Ruby - yesterday I surrendered Ruby to my place of employment.

For some time now, I have attempted to integrate Ruby into my apartment. I kept her (and the other kitty I saved from this disgusting shelter, Candice) in the bathroom for almost a year, switching blankets around, trading toys with my cats (siblings, Dani & Dorie) and I was also well aware that my kitties were sniffing at those kitties under the door. Things weren't going so well though because when I let them out, my kitties would spazz - hiding, hissing, but the biggest issue was them running because Ruby would chase them and with that crooked head of hers, she'd make a mess trying to keep her balance and the noise from that only freaked my kitties out even more.

I felt bad leaving her in the bathroom though because Ruby loves company so much and there wasn't much stimulation in there either even with her toothless buddy, Candice. So, I moved Ruby and Candice into a large crate in the middle of my apartment in the hopes that with everyone face to face, but Ruby unable to chase, that things would go more smoothly. My kitties still wouldn't adjust - hissing and eyes dilating when they saw the new cats and that's when they weren't hiding!

The reality is, Dorie I have strictly because of how very spastic she is. Though I have had her since she was about 6 weeks old, I had to wrap her up and carry her everywhere just to get her to how social she is now ... and she's barely social! No one really sees her and any sudden moves or loud noises cause her to run for cover. So, when overbearing Ruby approached her to check her out, Dorie would spazz and run ... and when Dorie ran, Ruby would chase. Candice did well though - she's quiet and not like Ruby at all. So, my most recent solution was to have the HH pair in my room all day while Dani and Dorie had the rest of my apartment and then, at night, I would put Ruby in the crate and allow Candice to free roam with my cats ... but Ruby would cry most of the night for affection and company. It broke my heart...

I know Ruby could not be in a better place -that's a fact- because TP has the money to further look into her severe head tilt if necessary (though it doesn't seem to bother her), she'll eventually be loose to play with all the kitties that will tolerate her, Ruby will have lots of volunteers to talk to and she'll have a much better chance of being seen & adopted than she did locked up in my apartment ... but I still feel awful. I've had her for so many months now that I've grown very, very attached. She's such a big, soft mush ball and so personable - talking so much that she even talked to herself at times and after surrendering her, I came back to Candice curled up all by herself - no Ruby pushing herself on her to cuddle. I cried all afternoon and still haven't brought myself to go into her holding her while she adjusts to being a sanctuary kitty. If it wasn't for how much Dorie got upset, I'd have kept Ruby and there's not doubt that Ruby & Candice could be the most wonderful pair of kitties a person could adopt together (laid back, quiet Candice and super sweet, glued to the comfiest spot/your side Ruby), but me being upset is strictly selfish. Like I said, Ruby's in the better place right now, even if it's not with me and/or Candice.

On top of feeling awful, I also felt like a complete creep doing her intake. My original plan was to take two of the sanctuary's more aggressive/more outside appropriate cats and the sanctuary would take Ruby. So, I didn't plan on letting her go until the Spring when it is warmer out to put kitties out to adjust to my parents' farm. She is late on getting her vaccinations because I was waiting until the end of the month to get Dani, Dorie, Candice and Ruby on the same schedule - getting the HH pair's a bit late and Dani & Dorie's a bit early so they would all be on track together. Ruby's paperwork from the shelter is unreliable too, for example: they had her as a male cat! Though looked at by a vet and vet tech and never going into heat, it was never actually determined if she was even spayed, but I also wasn't advised to do an exploratory surgery to check. Not to mention, I got her while still involved in my rescue, but within several months I resigned - leaving Ruby & Candice in my care, but with no real way of adopting them out or seeing a rescued discounted vet.

So, I turned over Ruby yesterday because she was spending most of her time in a cage and with her not up to date on shots, along with being unsure if she's been unfixed for over a year in my care and ... talk about looking like a bad pet parent! As if I didn't feel lame enough surrendering her in general!!

For months now Ruby & Candice have been living together (Ruby loves to snuggle with Candice ... though I'm not sure how much Candice liked it). The pair mushed together was and remains in my mind to be a perfect example of their two personalities - Candice always tolerant and Ruby so extremely overbearing affectionate. When I came in to get Ruby yesterday, she was curled up on the bed with Candice. She popped her little crooked head up and did her high pitched meow at me. I was pretty good at not crying until I was on my break and a lone ... sort of.

Here's the last photo I took of Ruby & Candice in their classic snuggling up together way before surrendering Ruby...

Can I Ask a Favor ...

My Sundays Are For Cats post is a bit random this week. I didn't really have a kitty in mind and yet one cat apparently decided to do me a favor and show up just yesterday!

I'm busy entertaining my cousin who was visiting and my mom called me yesterday saying that she heard this crying in the garage. At first she thought it was just one of our barn cats, but the crying was persistent and usually the barn cats aren't in that garage so close to the house anyway. So my mom went investigating and like a person lost for days in a desert running towards an oasis, a kitty my mom had never seen before came charging at her! Of course, my mom called me about this poor, starving cat who had been eating for an hour flat and was so sweet - letting her pick her right up.

Once off the phone, I started to think about what to do. My parents definitely don't need another barn cat, let alone a sweety like this one. Barn cats should be happy outside, not dying to be held :) After spotting what I believed was my boss's car in our parking lot, I went on out front and found him even though it was my day off: "Hey, how was your vacation? Uh, can I ask a favor??" And I got the okay to bring the kitty here!

And here is the cutie:

Seriously, how cute is she?! She's super pretty and now named Rhiannan. She actually looks surprisingly like another rare-looking kitty we just recently got here at work, Dove ... everyone keeps making the connection and I love Dove, but Rhiannan is a bit prettier, I think: she's got some orange mixed into her coloring. She's a big talker too, meowing and squeaking whenever anyone walks by her cage - which is rare since she's in a holding room right now. Only a few weeks though and I'm sure she'll be adopted quickly after that.

I'm not sure where she came from, but Rhiannan is very affectionate and somehow either found her way through acres and acres of woods to our garage or from the road, around the lake and across the field - either way, her appearance is quite random. I'm thankful that she's so mouthy though and kept yelling until my mom couldn't ignore it anymore. Because of it, Rhiannan's now inside, warm and safe. Today might have been unusually warm, but the temperature is supposed to drop again as soon as tomorrow!

Thank You, American Bulldog Rescue

I needed the laugh :)


K-9 Rescue Barbie

This Christmas season, give the latest, hottest new Barbie -- K-9 Rescue Barbie. She comes with her own Ford Aerostar van, and various size dog crates inside. She has a cell phone that's barely working due to over use and underpayment.

Barbie herself is decked out in jeans, grungy athletic shoes, and a t-shirt that says "Dogs are Better Than Any Other Living Thing on Earth". She comes with a road atlas of every town and state in all of North America, and a compass on the dashboard of the van. She also has a map of every McDonald's in the world.

Optional is the special Rescue Dog Barbie laptop computer with the names and addresses of every other dog rescue person on earth, in case she gets somewhere and a contact fails to show up.

Running buddy, "Lucky", the three-legged, blind Shih Tzu doll is available for an additional $49.95.

For $89.95, you can complete the set with "Pissed off husband at home, Ken," and the various foster dogs at $20 each.

Prices for accessories are:

• Fake snow falling on Barbie's van: $12.95
  
• Flat tire for Barbie's van: (see Barbie's Road Service")
  
• Barbie's First Aid Kit: (human): $11.75, (canine): $69.50
  
• Barbie's Speeding Ticket: $95 (Mississippi--$195)
  
• Barbie's coat-that-she-had-to-buy-in-Minnesota: $85
  
• Barbie's Vet Bill for Lucky in Vaughn, New Mexico: $63.45
  
• Barbie's contact, Rhonda, who she had to give gas money to in Mesa Verde,Texas: $20
  
• Barbie's bill to get her contact, Luis, out of jail in Bakersfield, California: $500
  
• Barbie's bill to get Luis's dogs out of the pound in Bakersfield, California: $265
  
• Barbie's hotel/kennel bill in Laughlin, Nevada, while she waits for her contact:$532
  
• Barbie's overalls that she has to buy while in Minden, Nebraska, hunting down lost coonhounds: $49.95
  
• Pizza for Barbie's suspicious looking hitch-hiker with sick puppy: $15
  
• Vet bill for hitch-hikers sick puppy in Des Moines, Iowa: $143.29
  
• Barbie's doggie wheelchair for "Klause" the rescue dachshund in Leavenworth, Kansas: $143
  
• And Barbie's van detailing/fumigation from hauling parvo/kennel cough puppies: $187
  
• Barbie's resume to get new job when she gets home from run: $29.95

And let us not forget her sister doll - Cat Rescue Barbie, who comes with
the same equipment, (substitute "cat" for "dog"), also:

• Folding ladder in vehicle: $129.95
  
• Have-a-heart trap: $29.95
  
• Cans of tuna for baiting trap: $11.95
  
• Long handled fishing net: $39.95
  
• Case of Simple Solution: $259.95
  
• Black light (to detect cat urine): $29.95
  
• Tee shirt that says "The More I Know About Men, The More I Love My Cat" $19.95
  
• Running buddy "Jeep" - 3-legged tailless cat named after vehicle that claimed her missing appendages: $89.95
  
• Vet bill for Jeep $397.95
  
• Friend Edith, 87-year-old feral colony feeder, who calls begging favors when her arthritis acts up and she can't get out. $59.95
  
• Food for Edith's colony cats (after all, Edith is on Social Security) $139.95
  
• Friend Margie, do-gooder with pristine home and one spoiled cat, whose idea of being a rescuer is to pick up strays and take them to Barbie for rehab, vetting, fostering, and placement. $89.95
  
• Vet bills for Margie's rescues $892.95
  
• Mother Sadie, who calls weekly to ask Barbie when she is going to get rid of all those smelly cats and give her some grandchildren already $89.95 (telephone extra)
  
• Shrink who talks Barbie out of killing above-mentioned persons each week $500
  
• Vet who makes house calls and doesn't blink at unannounced visits and odd-hour consultations: *priceless*

Check out: http://tinyurl.com/6km54m

Kira

Kira

Gender: Female
Age: Adult
Location: Kanab, Utah

All purrs and cuddles! You'd never know the pain that Kira has endured. Kira was born in a crowded animal shelter. Her eye infections and respiratory problems never got treated - and they hurt something awful. She must have thought pain was just a part of life.

Once, she got adopted, but her infections had let to worse and worse problems, and her new family just couldn't treat her. That's why she's at Best Friends.

Today, Kira is on soothing eye drops, and of course, the most important - "love therapy". She has ulcers on her eyes from all the infections of the past. But she's feeling a lot better. She is one of the friendliest cats. She always has a cuddle and purr for you when you visit. Would anyone like to take her home? She has special needs, but she still hopes.

Look at that adorable face! I tell you, if I lived near Kanab, UT, I'd be spending my time with this girl as much as I could.

Joa

Meet this sweet, "little devil". Joa is a paraplegic kitty who is in need of a special home to call her own.

Joa

Domestic Long Hair-black, Baby, Female

RESCUED MAY 18th BY OUR FRIENDS AT VELVET PAWS IN HADDONFIELD, NJ [Joyce is so wonderful!]

On the weekend of May 17th, Haddonfield had a big event and a woman came in Velvet Paws (VP) with her teens. The woman told the owner about a stray in her yard who gave birth to three kittens, one that seemed to have paralyzed legs. She said she called all over to rescues in her area (North Jersey) and she was told they would euthanize the kitten. The owner at VP was so upset that she agreed to intake and foster the kitten out of the goodness of her heart.

The cutie's name is "Joa" for Joan of Arc. It's amazing she survived outside unable to walk! She does move her tail a little but we will see what the vet thinks. At this time, Joa does not appear to be able to control her bowels on her own and she is still being syringe fed since she is just 4-5 weeks old.

Delta 2

Delta 2

"Pet me - but don't mess up my fur!"

Oh boy. This one's a primadonna! Delta likes her bed to be fluffed up - don't ask her to lie on the flat kind of cat rug. She's fond of attention. Unless she's in "one of her moods". And if something doesn't meet her standards - she is good with an evil eye.

Strangely, Delta came from an animal shelter in Pahrump, Nevada, that had fallen apart, and where the animals were being neglected. You'd think she might have low expectations because of that! But instead, when she was rescued, she looked at everyone like, "Ah, there you. It's about time. Have you contacted my lawyer? The service here has been just awful. I'm planning to sue."

Delta is healthy, young adult, and gets along fine with other animals - sometimes. Depending on which one and whether she's in the mood!

She would really like the dignity of a home.

What a cutie!

Candice

Almost time for work!

I just found out Monday that my one little rescue foster kitty, Candice, may have cancer. I'm terribly disappointed.

Furrever Friends Rescue & Volunteers (FFRV), my rescue, pulled her, Norbit (now Ruby), Sam and, a few days before those three, Cleo from this shelter near where I work. They seriously need help there ... and that's putting it nicely! Candice was there for almost 3 years in a cage and now it seems she might have been sitting there with this gigantic mass in the back of her mouth. We were going to pull her teeth Monday, but after they put her under and opened her mouth to put the tube in, they saw this huge mass pretty much blocking the entire back of her throat. So instead of pulling out most of her teeth, they removed most of the mass and did a biopsy. They didn't want to pull her teeth (and put her through that pain) only to find out she has terminal cancer ... and the mass they removed was like an inch or little under in size. It was huge! Poor baby ...

She's the sweetest little girl too! She just lays around, spinning a bit and purring when I talk to her. They think she's about 7 years old, but it's hard to tell from her teeth since her mouth is so bad.

Here's Candice: