The Fog

ESMERALDA - waiting for a home

Most of those who know me know I love a good scary movie.  I've watched a ton of them, and am always looking for a new thrill.  The Fog was an old movie, but apros pos for this morning because the fog was so dense out there you could cut it with a knife.  But I will take it over the rain and snow any day.

My knee is doing much better.  I am back to my old hop skip and jump!  And I had to hop skip and jump out feeding the cats as there are obstacles galore.  Puddles, branches, holes in the ground, garbage, dead rats, you name it!  I also came face to face with an opossum on Garson.  The little devil, after freezing there for a minute staring at me, he ran into a shelter.  And a big old fat raccoon ran into a shelter on Pennsylvania, so you just know that food and water is wasted that I still had to leave as five cats were hovering for their food.

Please consider Parsley, Hermie and Esmeralda for adoption, and please consider Marbles and the grey tabby on Parsells who is still sick (I did see him this morning and gave him his dose of meds) to foster.  They are both wonderful sweet animals that are dying to get off the street, literally. 

I leave you with a story from my friend Sunday Sheryl!

FRASER - Before and After!

This story is ultimately about Fraser, a rescue from Baldwin Street although the story does begin a few months earlier than his rescue.

“Little” (for Little Cat or LC or Elsie) was a starving tiny kitten I found lost in my asparagus patch. Because my veterinarian charges over $400 to spay, she was just kept indoors. Back then, my 20-something son had friends that came and went at all hours so Little did occasionally slip outside.  I had to home a few litters before affording to have her spayed (...my mom handing me her credit card and saying “Get that GD cat fixed!”).  I think it was during my search to find a home for her last kitten, Monster, (a completely different story) that I stumbled upon an older video interview of Janine Wagner and her city efforts of TNR. 

I ended up keeping Monster but I came away with much more from that effort to home him...  an awareness of the TNR movement and a friendship with Janine.

It’s been almost three years since then and my first contact with Janine and offer of help. She jokingly replied that I could do her route anytime. Taking her up on it is what ultimately dubbed me “Sunday Sheryl,”  her once a week ride-along helper. 

So, it was my first winter of building shelters and driving into the “hood” every Sunday that we noticed the smaller of the two long haired red cats on Baldwin Street was doing poorly.  Adding misery to his obvious cold, from going in and out of a tunnel entrance shelter, the fur on both sides of his body was scraped down to his inner velvet coat —I melted and offered to take him to the clinic and foster him.

Because I’m a HUGE fan of Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER book series, I named him FRASER after the series main character, James Alexander Malcom McKenzie Fraser, a fiery red haired Scottish Highlander who bore countless scars from a painful life but had a heart of gold (sigh).

Upon release in my spare room, Fraser hid between a cabinet and the wall for days. I moved my computer into his  room  in order to spend more time with him. Eventually he warmed up enough to come to me a make his high pitched “Aaack?”  (So cute). I’d slap my lap and he’d jump up to get loved. Becoming more comfortable with me, he walked up my chest, stopped, and stared straight into my eyes. And well, that was it for me. Tears welled up and I knew he was wondering if this love toward him could possibly be real. Janine was then informed that he wasn’t up for adoption. I was keeping him.

I love my Fraser.  He has this old  battle scar on his right eye lense that the tip just reaches his cornea and fascinates everyone in veterinary care.  He sheds like water but loves to be brushed. When I come home from work, he circles my feet, staring up and repeating his squeaky “Aaack” until I reach both hands down and offer “up?”  Then he stands up and stretches his front paws up to me so I can place him on my shoulder, his Heaven. And at night he settles in on my side sleeping so soundly that he often rolls right off.  Lately he’s begun kneading dough on anything “me”  with eyes half-closed, in a trance with a chainsaw purr.

In my house of five cats, Fraser may be the last addition but he’s the first to greet anyone who visits. He contentedly sits on laps and cuddles and purrs. No one leaves my home without falling just a bit in love with this red haired Siberian-mix Love.Sheryl Beauchemin

Thank you Sheryl!  Please, keep your stories coming!

Have a great day!

"Among the things in my life I thank God for most, is the love He gave me for animals.

My heart would be emptier, and life

would be less without them."