Weekend Tale

This pic was taken in my friend Maree's backyard over the weekend:  Mr. Skunk and Mr. Coyote:  Be sure to click on the picture to really check it out!

Well, it was a pretty decent weekend.  The weather was much calmer, we had temps in the 20s and 30s, so it made it much easier to be out in it.

We also had our daylight savings change - that was pretty weird.  So I normally get up at 3:15 am. to ready myself (mentally!) for leaving the house at 4:15.  So prior to going to bed at 9, I set the clock ahead to 10. That would mean that I would be getting up in FOUR hours.  So at 3:15, it was basically 2:15 to anyone partiers that were still out from the night before.  So there were a LOT of people out when I was out on my route early Sunday morning.  Normally, its peaceful and quiet.  And not to mention the cats were a bit confused!  They are also like clockwork - they are sitting and waiting for me when I pull up normally, but on Sunday morning I think I roused a few of them out of their slumber.

 On Saturday morning, Kristin came over and we went to figure out what was causing the smell in the shelter on Sixth.  Now, this shelter is behind a boarded up house.   Its also in the back yard of a duplex.  On one side lives a family - the same family that placed the box of dead newborn kittens on my shelter when the shelter was just next to their house, behind that abandoned house - but then the city came and trashed all my stuff and I had to rebuilt just next door behind the house next door.  Remember, that would be the third time I've had to move my shelter there - the first was in the garage there, until the people moved in to the house that own the garage - the DILAPIDATED garage that they are STILL to this day not using.  That was the man that told me they had baby kittens, that they liked cats, but that they were most likely going to use the garage back then.  Anyways, the woman who lives on the other side of the duplex came to the back door when we arrived, and told us we had to move the shelter because her dogs would be tied up in the back and she didn't want it in her backyard.  She pointed out the fact that she pays rent and should be able to use her backyard.  Now, immediately my defenses go up when the security of the cats is in jeopardy, so thank God Kristin was there, as she walked over and started to diffuse the situation.  "Lynn" turned out to be a nice person, after we spoke, and told her what I do and what I've done for the cats, and she had confirmed that it was the neighbors who placed the newborn kittens in a box for me to find and give a proper burial (I think?), she said the mother cat was hit by a car, and they were trying to do the right thing with the babies, but they didn't know they had to nurse them, etc.  So sad.  Regardless, she told me I didn't have to move the shelters until the snow melts.

I decided I would move them over to across the vacant lot next door on Short, and combine them.  Morgan and Milly will have new neighbors.  Buttons, Whiskers, and two others.  That will lessen my route by one.  So come snow melt, I will be moving this shelter over.  Its disruptive to the cats, but I am hoping they will adjust!

OH!  I forgot to report, we could find nothing dead in the shelter - we had to shovel off a ton of snow on top, and couldn't get all of it to open one of the wooden huts, but we managed to pull some old straw out of one, replace with some dry warm fleece blankets (very dry inside), and add some straw to another.  Its a cozy little spot for these guys.

I went to visit Sooty yesterday, and he is doing great!  His new mom is a gem, but I did give her a little talk about her smoking in her house, and how bad it is for the cats.  Their tiny little lungs.  I could care less what someone does to themselves, but the animals have no say.  Hopefully, she will begin to go outside with the warmer weather.  But he is a love, and I do miss him terribly.

That's all to report for now.  Thanks for listening, and have a great day!

"Today will never come again.  Be a blessing.  Be a friend.  Encourage someone.  Take time to care.  Let your words heal and not wound."