Foster Kitties

Cats are so funny, aren't they?  Each morning, I go into a room to refill a dish of dry food, and I find my hair ties in it.  I then remove them, place them back on my dresser in a carved wooden box that was my grandfathers, and leave the room.  I come back to the room in the evening, after work, to check on the food, and there they are again, and so it goes, on and on, day and night.  Its so funny. 

This morning we had a micro burst - I think that is what you call it - of snow just as I was getting out to do my first feed.  I couldn't see the car from the porch where fluffy boy was waiting for me.  It stopped after a few minutes, but it set at least a half inch of snow in that burst - not including the one to two inches we've had overnight and now, its still snowing out there.  Its actually beautiful out there this morning.  The snow was glistening.  28 degrees.  Its supposed to be MINUS 28 degrees tonight with wind chills, and tomorrow.  If you've never prayed before, please say a prayer for ALL the animals that are suffering because of the conditions out there.  All of them, from the deer to the squirrels, and even those dastardly rats!

ELVIS - He needs his forever home!

I have had my share of  few great offers of foster - and with that have been able to rescue four cats from the streets since the beginning of the new year.  The thanks you get for that is seeing that cat that once roamed the streets, trying to survive a cold and lonely winter, thriving in their new home. For me, letting go of a cat that I've rescued that has found a permanent home is difficult. Same with foster, which I did at least 12 kittens this past fall, the sadness I experience in saying goodbye to those kittens is outweighed by the reward of knowing I played a crucial role in the life of that cat whose future is far better as a result of the love I gave and the help I offered at their moment of greatest need.  Thank you to all of my fosters, then and now.  I could not have rescued and adopted out - what - 74 cats last year. without you.

Thanks to friends Patti and Al for sharing these sweet and funny poems!

MY FOSTER KITTY

I am the bridge

between what was and what can be.

I am the pathway to a new life.

I am made of mush,

because my heart melted when I first saw you...

matted, sore, limping, depressed

lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.

For this little time I will make you mine.

I will feed you with my own hand.

I will love you with all my heart,

so that I may make you whole.

I must stay strong

because when the time comes,

when you are well and sleek

when your eyes shine

and you purr with contentment,

then comes the hard part.

I will let you go - not without a tear,

but without regret.

For you are safe forever

And another kitty needs me now.

And one more:

IF YOU'VE NEVER HAD A CAT

If you’ve’ never had a cat,.. don’t panic

Cats aren’t the devil, they are not manic

Cats can scratch and hiss and sometimes bite

But it’s only cause sometimes they have to fight.

When we throw them out into the street like trash

And we use the lame excuse “cause we’re strapped for cash”

You cannot measure the love they give in dollars

The purrs and rubs alone will make us holler

If you never had a cat do so today

Get one from Janine and save the day.

Have a great day!

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch,

a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment,or the smallest act of caring,

all of which have the potential

to turn a life around."