RIP Weenie

This was the first time I met Weenie (AKA Halloween) and as I'm sure you can see she was a silly girl that just wanted to be with you - where ever that was. This picture was almost two years ago now...

After that, Weenie went to a super awesome foster home in the hopes of being adopted from there. Her foster mom was nice enough to take her to get her shots updates and had her combo tested. It was then that we found out Ween was FIV+, which is no death sentence, but her foster mom could not keep her as she already had an older, immune-compromised older kitty. So, that's when Weenie came to the farm.

For awhile the girl lived on the enclosed front porch, but she was always running out the door with you. Then, Weenie was staying outside with us while we were out. Finally, I think she was just out all the time with the front porch door left open.

The two times I've been down to the farm so far this week, we joked how she's always under foot - literally, she got stepped on sometimes!! We were in the garden, she was in the garden. Down by the lake, so was she. You had to go to the barn, she'd show up. My mom even said she's found Weenie inside her cold frame! She was always, always with you ... unless she found a really good place to sleep.

Yesterday, my mom found Weenie in the front yard and she was gone :(

Although she probably would have lived longer inside and I'll never know what took her, she was definitely happy out there. When my dad used to go out and sit by the lake, she'd sit with him and he'd pet her, which he's not very good at anymore (he's rough like a little kid would be), but she didn't mind. My sister was also telling me how when Luna was lost and the times she and her friend Rachel went deep into the woods looking for Luna, there was Weenie right by them. They'd yell "Luuuuna" and Weenie would make her funny little meow! Even yesterday, my mom kept thinking she saw Ween out of the corner of her eye walking over to her while she was working in the garden.

Oh my god, I'm going to miss her...

Here are some previous posts I wrote about Weenie:
- Spotlight on Weenie
- Caturday: Halloween

Rough Week

We lost Champ and Kyleigh this week. Champ, one of our garage cats, we found under a tree by the lake. Kyleigh we made the hardest decision for us (but best for her) - to put her to sleep before she suffered any more.

I have no words for the heart ache myself and my mom & sister are feeling. One is too much, two is awful...

I'll post more later, but for now I'd like to post this for them:

Beyond The Rainbow

As much as I loved the life we had and all the times we played,
I was so very tired and knew my time on earth would fade.
I saw a wondrous image then of a place that's trouble-free
Where all of us can meet again to spend eternity.

I saw the most beautiful Rainbow, and on the other side
Were meadows rich and beautiful -- lush and green and wide!
And running through the meadows as far as the eye could see
Were animals of every sort as healthy as could be!
My own tired, failing body was fresh and healed and new
And I wanted to go run with them, but I had something left to do.

I needed to reach out to you, to tell you I'm alright
That this place is truly wonderful, then a bright Glow pierced the night.
Twas the Glow of many Candles shining bright and strong and bold
And I knew then that it held your love in its brilliant shades of gold.

For although we may not be together in the way we used to be,
We are still connected by a cord no eye can see.
So whenever you need to find me, we're never far apart
If you look beyond the Rainbow and listen with your heart.

RIP Champ
RIP Kyleigh
You are sorely missed!

R.I.P. Champ

I'm back dating this to when he passed...

It is hard to believe it has only been three years since Champ joined our crew at the farm.

Champ came into Tabby's Place while I was still working there from a local business, Champion Tires. The business was already caring for several ferals and when two more were abandoned there, it was just too many, so they brought the two, one boy and one girl, over to Tabby's Place for us to intake. The boy, however, tested positive for FIV and the room their for FIV babies was already full (one cat too full, actually). Norman, my FIV+ feral, had recently lost his best friend, Buddy, and I thought maybe the FIV status and no room at Tabby's Place was a sign I should take this semi-feral boy to be Norman's new friend. With the permission of my mom, that's exactly what I did and I named the rough looking white cat with gray spots "Champion".

Ever since that day in June of '08, Champ really has been Norm's best bud. It was often pretty common that if you saw one, the other wasn't far away - in the leaves by the drive way, under a bush in the garden, in the garage or wandering the property - they really did become good friends.

This winter, I thought we were going to lose Champ. He was really snotty and although he was never a stunning cat, he seemed extra rough looking - not cleaning himself, gross nose, etc. However, I got him on some antibiotics and he really turned around. Since then, I'd be steadily pulling his mattes out. He'd talk sometimes in protest, but that was rare. He really was such a good boy...

Recently, Champ had been spending time in the leaves keeping cool with Norm, wandering the property, eating a lot and following Weenie around (she didn't appreciate his "puppy" love and would often smack him). I will say that having Weenie out during the day gave me some really good nights recently. I'd go out to find her and in order: Diamond, Champ and then Norman would show up. I'd give them all an extra handful of food and some pets if they wanted them. I loved this nights (aside from the moments of worrying where Weenie was until she'd show up to go in).

Champ got slow his last week or so. I thought his mouth was bothering him and I was really unsure of what to do. I couldn't decide if I should put him through the stress of taking him to the vet or just letting him be. He was so happy with Norm. I didn't want to upset him, stress him and maybe make things worse.

I found Champ's body under the pines on the hill down to the lake. Although I hate the thought of him passing without me assisting him by mercifully putting him to sleep, I like to think Norm was with Champ to the very end and he didn't pass alone.

Here's a collection of photos of Champ...

R.I.P. Champion...

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...

Defintely Winter

Yesterday morning after I woke up and started moving around I deemed it officially winter. Though it looked like any other morning from my bedroom window, the windows in our living room showed something else: there was ice on our lake! If you look closely at that picture that I took just yesterday morning, you'll notice only one white duck swimming ... the others are standing on the lake! Yes, yesterday (Friday) morning was chilly and my dad stayed inside most of the day because of it. Now, why is this fun fact of the silly ducks standing on the lake blogable? Well, you see, we live in New Jersey and little did I know that our "trusty" weather reporters were about to UNDERestimate their predictions for today...

This is the lake this lovely, snowy Saturday evening! Included in the picture is also my sister, Michelle, her boyfriend, Steve, and the Dobie pup, Tali, moments before she tried to run on to the ice to chase the ducks. Lets just say it ended up being more slush than ice, but the pup barely got her toe wet before changing her mind about the duck attack. Yes, were cursed gifted a large amount of snow ... much more than was anticipated, I believe. Friday night into Saturday morning they were estimating only about an inch with maybe 6 - 11 more falling throughout the day. By 9 AM this morning the weather was predicting more like 3 inches every hour ... and it's still snowing now! So you can imagine what the yard looks like...

the horses are covered in snow

the sheep are snowy even inside the one barn

and even the ducks were up all day begging for food instead of swimming around in the slushy lake! (note: that area they're in was shoveled clean moments before I took this photo)

Call me crazy, but I think it was a pretty nice day. I woke up early and went out to see if my mom needed help repairing the barn (I heard a very loud crash in the middle of the night and though my dad went out to make sure everything was ok, apparently a huge board had fallen down and needed to be put back up). After taking some pictures, we headed in where I made sure the fire in our wood stove kept burning and we waited for my little sister and her boyfriend to wake up. After that, it was lots of playing in the snow, clearing areas that needed to be cleared and having fun with some of the pups - only Tali at first since we weren't sure we could trust Sadie completely ... and for good reason! When we finally did let her out, after being adorable for so long, she definitely got more than just her toes wet when she decided to try to chase the ducks. Goofy dog! We took them inside to eat then while my sister and her boyfriend played in the snow.

There was also more picture taking outside, hot chocolate, hay being thrown around (for the horses), extra wet food for the ferals, good smells while my sister was making tomato sauce, finding & setting up the fake tree (since going out to buy a live one today was canceled thanks to mother nature), lots of movie watching, puzzle doing (not by me, I'm too impatient) and we did not lose the electric. I think overall today was a great day and definitely put me in the holiday spirit: the snow, the lights, the decorating and everyone together getting along (though, of course, my blood pressure surely spiked during meal time with my dad).

I hope this post finds you warm, loved and content like I was today. Happy holidays!

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.

Another new cat...

I am up early to take care of my parents' place while they are away and I have this nasty habit of not being able to fall back to sleep once I'm awake.

Speaking of the farm, yesterday afternoon I released Zeus, another new barn cat for my parents' farm. She (yes, a female named Zeus - made no sense to me either, but I wanted to keep the name the shelter gave her) has been locked up since right around Christmas. I should have known she might need more time, but truly I don't think it would have made a difference. After being frozen in place for weeks now, she shot out of the cage and I'm not sure she'll be back or if we'll even know if she is since she's like a statue with people around.

I could have simply opened the crate door and let Zeus come out in her own good time, but no, I tapped on her crate to get her out. I wanted to see what direction she ran in when she realized she was free. Zeus crept out slowly, found her way to the wooden planks where we have two horse feeders attached, then she bolted across the entire horse pasture and into the wood's behind our neighbor's.

I hope she returns, but I'm really not sure.

FIV Facts - It's Not A Death Sentence

I am an animal lover. I am a big mush for cats ... any type of cat really deserves to live, in my opinion, unless suffering horribly in a manner that can no longer be reversed or healed. In saying this, I am admitting to having not one, but two FIV+ barn cats at my parents' farm. Would inside homes be preferable? Absolutely ... but when the popular alternative is death, I don't think I'm doing much of a disservice to them. I mean, Norman, for example, was living in a beyond dangerous area where he needed to be relocated from, but he was feral as well. An FIV+ cat is hard enough to place, let alone a feral one!

My love, my beast, the other half of the former odd couple of Buddy & Norman before Buddy passed away - I cannot express how much I love my man, Norman. Norman was one very hard to trap boy that I had agreed to take before we even got him, I believe. I had a new kitty, Wilson, who had come to me after his owner passed and the house he lived outside of forever was being sold. There were 5 other cats he had lived with, but Wilson had always been the outsider of the group so we assumed there would be no problem of him settling in solo ... however, that was not the case. He refused to eat for weeks! Though I believe Wilson was named for the volleyball in Castaway I always thought of the neighbor with the constantly covered up face on Home Improvement and just like that neighbor, I'd grown up with a neighbor who said "Hi-dee-ho, neighbor" when he was out in his yard and saw us - Norm Sanger. So, that's how Norman got his name when we took him in hoping that some company would perk up Wilson and his appetite.


Norman was best friends with my Buddy and has been quite lost it seems with Buddy now gone. It breaks my heart. I have not been able to touch him since Buddy passed away though he's always close by and never that hard to find around dinner time.

Champ came into my work when a contact said that two cats had been abandoned at their place and they just could not handle taking on anymore: they were going to take one and wanted us to take the other one. He was friendly enough, they said, but after they left him with us, he turned out to be positive for FIV when we tested him. Our suite here was full and with the rumors and assumptions about FIV+ cats being so unfair, I doubted a place that didn't want this cat when they thought he was healthy certainly wouldn't want him if he was FIV+. I said I'd take him. Here's a photo of Champ while he was laying around, caged, getting used to his new home:


Could Champ be an inside kitty? Perhaps. But he's very happy outside, runs as soon as he sees us getting to close and though he's outside, he's alive and well watched over. He spends most of his time in our pole barn about 20 feet away from the house.

I keep them as happy and healthy as possible. They are seen at least twice a day during meal time. My boys are probably overly fed, are neutered and vaccinated. All the cats not only have the outdoors to play around with, but toys too. I've seen them enjoying naps in the sun or curled up in the leaves. I keep them healthy with extra nutrients is they seem a little down, I apply Revolution to them monthly when they let me. They have 4 barns to pick from if weather comes up and every winter they're offered not only the usual comforts of old sofas and comforters in their barns, but our side porch is set up for them with heat lamps for when it's super cold, extra blankets and a heated cat bed to sleep in.

Aside from just having two FIV+ barn cats, they live with other cats too. FIV is not as contagious as rumored and feared. Wilson is NOT positive for FIV, Irish Momma tested negative as well and the cat who just emerged from the woods and never left is one very healthy cat too!

I stole these below well known facts from my friend's website: Paws For Life Coalition. She's got various other great tid bits on there too, so check it out!

THE FIV FACTS - IT'S NOT A DEATH SENTENCE:
1. The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) is a lentivirus, meaning that it progresses very slowly, gradually affecting the cat's immune system over a period of years.

2. FIV is a cat-only disease and is not transmissible to dogs, children or other humans in any way, so there is not a threat to families even if an FIV cat scratches or bites you. In fact, the only thing about FIV that you can catch is a bad case of deadly rumors.

3. FIV cats most often live long, healthy lives and never suffer any symptoms at all.

4. FIV is not easily passed between cats. It cannot be spread casually - like in litter boxes, water and food bowls or when snuggling, grooming and playing. It is rarely spread from a mother to her kittens, although some kittens can have a false positive reading due to the mother's antibodies passed on to them. It is best to have the kitten retested every 60 days up to 6 months of age.

5. The virus can be spread through blood transfusions or serious penetrating bite wounds. (Bite wounds of this kind are extremely rare, except in free-roaming, un-neutered tomcats.) So unless your cats at home routinely tear each other to pieces, it should not be a problem.

6. A neutered FIV cat in a home is extremely unlikely to infect other cats, if properly introduced. Proper introduction should always be made when adding any new cat into your household. It is not necessary to isolate an FIV cat in a multiple cat household unless the FIV cat is likely to fight with the other residents.

7. Many vets are not up to date about FIV since the virus was only discovered 15 years ago. A lot of vets did not want to take a chance and the rule of thumb was to totally separate the cat, find a sanctuary or have them euthanized. If we went back 15 years ago, before anybody tested for FIV, all of these cats would be in regular homes living normal lives. But researchers now discovered something they could put a name to, even if the cats never got sick.

8. FIV-positive cats should be kept as healthy as possible (as with any cat). Keep them indoors, free from stress, feed them a high-quality diet and treat any secondary problems as soon as they arise.

9. It is our strong recommendation not to consider vaccinating your cat with the current FIV vaccine. All cats just vaccinated with the FIV vaccine will test positive for FIV. If your cat was ever lost and then found and taken to a shelter, they may be euthanized as a result of this false positive test. There are no current commercial tests available to distinguish between a healthy vaccinated cat and one that truly has FIV. The vaccine only covers 2 (A & D) out of 5 subtype strains of FIV (A, B, C, D & E). The A subtype is seen mainly on the west coast and D subtype is in Asia. Most cats in the US test positive for subtype B and is most prevalent on the east coast.

For more info on FIV & vaccine information, visit: http://www.baypathhumane.org/care_fiv.html
http://www.hilltopanimalhospital.com/fiv-vaccine.htm & http://www.theanimalspirit.com/ginger.html

My Buddy ...

I lost Buddy Thursday night. I had to take him to Dr. John's to put him to sleep. He declined basically over night, I think, so I left work early Thursday to head home and check him out myself ... he didn't even come when I called him, was definitely not himself and was wheezing when he was breathing. He had a lot of fluids in his lungs apparently, Dr. John said the best we could do would only buy him maybe days.

I'm heartbroken! They're all special - all the ones you rescue, the ones you keep (or who just won't leave you!) ... but Buddy really was a once in a lifetime kind of guy. I'm just heartbroken ... and I still have no idea how the hell I'm supposed to function without my flame-point man.

Let me talk a little more about this guy to explain why he was so great.

First off, he was damn handsome! Everyone referred to him as "that white cat" when really he was a flame-point Siamese. His coloring made him an even odder match up with Norman, his best friend, FIV+ boy also from behind a Sleepy's store and just about the biggest dang, long-haired black and white cat you can imagine. Massive, dark Norman and tiny, light Buddy were quite a pair! Quite a pair ...

Buddy came from behind a Sleepy's mattress store. A super wonderful woman named Karen L had to make lots of attempts to trap him because that task just seemed impossible. I had promised to take him because I have a love for flame-points and we had no real barn cats at my parents' place at the time. So, when he ended up being Feline Leukemia positive, I still didn't see the big deal in taking him - I figured we'd keep him until he got sick (which probably wouldn't be long) and then put him to sleep. In my mind, that was better than just euthanizing him like just about everyone thought we should do. Seriously, you should have heard the crap I got for having a FeLeuk+ barn cat, but he was happy and that's all that mattered to me!

When we first got him, he was a total freakin nightmare!! He's lunge at you and spit all the time - I hate that combination. No matter how much experience I have with cats, that crap still scares me. Buddy got out after only being locked up for a few days (the manner in which that happened is still suspicious) and was just gone ... gone for good, I thought, until my sister's one friend who lived a couple houses down said, "Hey, think you can catch this cat for me? It's a white cat that's been hanging around." I looked at him and said, "That's no white cat, he's a flame point ... and, yea, I'll catch him - he's already mine." :) I caged him up for a more appropriate amount of time for him to get used to his new home, me & feeding schedule and the boy never left again.

After several months, he started to be a lot nicer ... he'd hang around more when other people were around, talk (like a Siamese!) and rub up against me every so often ... but go to try and pet him and he'd swat at you! It was always a test I did, mostly while he was distracted by eating, until one day he didn't swat. In fact, Buddy kinda leaped up on his back legs a bit to push his head further into my hand ... and from there it just progressed to the point where Buddy would come dashing at you when you called out his name and he'd follow me all over, running with me or whatever and just roll belly up right in front of your path if you stopped for a moment cause he'd want his belly rubbed. He liked to watch while we were working outside (a very good supervisor while putting up barns and fences) and there was no car safe from him leaping on it to check it out - he actually used to sleep on my dad's covered Camaro convertible the winter before we had Norman too. And FeLeuk+ and all, we had Buddy for several years. Him and Norman, the last couple years have just been the best of friends too - rubbing up against each other, laying in the sun together and snuggling to the point where they'd squeeze themselves both into a tiny, one-cat-sized heated bed!

Buddy was just exceptional! I mean, even the tattoo I got of his paw print has a story behind it. Look at my foot and it's a little silly if you know much about cats and their behavior. I have one smooshed up, tiny, pissy paw print and one relaxed, spread-out paw print ... the pissy one if from my HOUSE cat and the relaxed one is Buddy's. He was just so chill while I inked up his paw and got prints for my tattoo ... I guess, I'll admit that I got it knowing he would probably be the first I lost since he was FeLeuk+ ...

Did I mention I've never lost any of my cats before? Cause that's true. I've lost ones while doing rescue, yea, and a couple family dogs in my lifetime too, but I never really had a cat until I was 16, so she's still fairly young herself and I'd never lost one of my own until Buddy Thursday.

My mom kept asking what we should do (and I knew when I saw Buddy ...) and Dr. John asked what I wanted to do with his body (I brought him home. Truly, I kinda wanted his ashes, but couldn't bare the thought of him going in a trashbag to wait in a freezer for that ...) and then my dad just kept asking where I wanted to bury Buddy. Too many decisions for my broken heart that day ...

I've kept myself distracted the last couple days ... cause when I think about it, I just start crying. I hung out with friends Thursday night and all Friday to keep from being home to not notice Buddy around. When I left my parents' to come back up to my apartment today though, I said goodbye again. I had my parents bury him in the front garden ... he used to walk through it a lot to jump on the cars, sit by the front door or greet you as you came out, so that spot seemed appropriate. My mom got this slab I've had for awhile now (since we lost Honey & Ellie) that reads: If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again. She put it over where we buried him and I put one of the pink/purple roses from my garden by it. I started crying again ...

If you read all that, thanks for listening and learning about him. He was amazing ... and I'm hoping that he'll be waiting for me at the bridge like all my friends keep telling me.


I Loved You Best
by Jim Willis

So this is where we part, My Friend,
and you'll run on, around the bend,
gone from sight, but not from mind,
new pleasures there you'll surely find.

I will go on, I'll find the strength,
life measures quality, not its length.
One long embrace before you leave,
share one last look, before I grieve.

There are others, that much is true,
but they be they, and they aren't you.
And I, fair, impartial, or so I thought,
will remember well all you've taught.

Your place I'll hold, you will be missed,
the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed.
And as you journey to your final rest,
take with you this...I loved you best.