All Creatures Great and Small!

The pic above was taken by my cousin in Florida, where she encountered this creature on the golf course yesterday.  Searching for balls....

Crazy past month.  To begin with, I had some bad news finding out that two of my paid helpers can’t help me.  That left me with one.  And that one is an artist and she travels for shows a lot and can’t always help me during the week.   Thank God there is dependable Sheryl who has been helping me EVERY weekend for TEN years, for which I am so grateful for.  As guilty as I feel sometimes, she has told me that I don’t have to pay her – we are friends.  One of the girls broke her ankle, and the other had knee surgery.  So it was a scramble to find someone.  All I could think about was… is that it?  Is this the end?  Will these cats suffer and die out there without me not feeding them?  Of course, they would, so I was DESPERATE. I put out another plea on Facebook but after knowing what the ‘job’ would entail, no one really wants to get up and go out at 5 am.  But then I got a message from sweet Christina, and her girlfriend Lindsey, who happen to live right near me, and have adopted four kitties from me, and she offered to help through thick and thin.  I felt like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulder.  There is also another kind man who lives near me named Harold who I am hoping to be a backup if no one else can.

This is proving to be an arduous undertaking – I have people that don’t know exactly what I do and see out there – that tell me that I need to just stop doing it.  But how can I?  Anyone that has gone out with me knows the deal, and how it would literally be a death sentence for so many cats. 

On to better updates………………  So out of the four foster black and white kittens I’ve been fostering, Oatmeal has been unofficially adopted (it's never final until spay/neuter day) and has been renamed Stanley (my father’s name!).  He is the kitten that was found under the engine of a car in a parking lot at Wegmans (make sure you pound on your hood before driving!).  Graham has been unofficially adopted and will go to his new home this weekend.  I sure will miss that little one.  

So we have Chip and Oreo left, which I am hoping will be adopted together.  These cookie kitties had to go to the vet last week because of upper respiratory in each of them.  That was $300+ to see them all for exams, and treatment.  This cost is not charged to adopters.  We rescuers lose money, at least I do.

Hazel was adopted this past weekend.  I realize now that their vet costs are more than the adoption fee I charge.  Hazel had an umbilical hernia, and her total was $187 for removal and spay.  I charge $150 per cat, male or female, kitten or adult.  I have to rethink this.  For this transaction, I lost nearly $40.  That’s a lot.  That is almost two days of wet food for over 100 cats. That is 2.5 bags of 16-lb dry food.  Murphy and Lainey were adopted out a month or so ago.  Murphy cost me $167 at the vet.  I give breaks to people if they take two cats, so I lost out on this also.  But they are good kitties and good people, so I can’t really compare – the cost of rescuing and placing them in good homes is priceless.  Again, though, I have to rethink this. 

There are at least five cats right now on the streets I am focusing on for rescue, but cannot do until I have a foster.  They are just the sweetest little things.  One fluffy Maine Coon looking cat is on my first spot at Melville, he actually gets in the truck and sits on my lap.  In the 2^nd Melville spot there is a young brown tabby that runs to the truck crying.  On Garson, there is a beautiful shorthaired grey cat that is very sweet, and on Parsells, there is a brown and white tabby that runs crying when I pull up that winds his legs around you to be petted.  Sometimes, that is all he wants to do.  On Central and Fourth, there are several former TNRs that now have no fear of humans and would love to be rescued.  Its so hard.

Please spread the word that all it takes is a spare room with a window.  All the cat needs is a litter box, water, food and a little love.  I will do the rest!  There are people out there looking for an adult or young adult cat, and I will find them!  You are literally saving a life when you foster.

On a final note, thank you to all that made donations this past Giving Tuesday!  What a difference a few dollars make – a huge relief knowing I can keep feeding these cats.  And getting them medical attention when necessary, and rescuing them!  Here is my count for 2022:  43. This is my lowest in years.  I usually average 80-90 for the past 15 years at least. 

And thank you to those who have stopped by and dropped off food and other donations,and those that have had delivered to my home.  Your generosity to help these cats will have you in kitty heaven in no time.  Then again, maybe you don’t want to go to kitty heaven like I do not want to do.  I’ve seen enough cats to last a lifetime!  I give the ones I’ve had in this life all the love and attention they need until they go to their mothership and get all the catnip, mice, and treats that they can consume and roll around in!   I need a break!  😊

Have a great day!