I came home yesterday and found my baby Butterscotch passed away. He looked so peaceful. I will back up a little bit. Like 10 years ago.
Butterscotch was rescued as a kitten, maybe 10 weeks old, the point of a cat being semi-feral but still able to be socialized.
I will share the posts I have mentioned him in from 2014, along with rare pictures along the way.
Over the past 10 years, he became increasingly elusive, preferring to live in my basement. I remember years ago, I came home from work only to find he had not escaped to the basement yet, and had spent the day lounging in the sun in a spare bedroom. I knew I had to make an attempt to let him know I was not a big bad monster, so I closed him inside the room with me, and he slunk to the back of the closet. I quietly and slowly got down on my knees and slowly moved to pet him. He allowed it with barely any fuss.
Since then, I've caught glimpses of him sitting in the hallway while I am in the living room, but if I make a move, down he goes!
Long story short, I came home Wednesday - while I had no heat in the house because of the furnace malfunctioning, and there was Butterscotch, on the couch, and looking at me. I slowly walked over to him and was shocked. He was a skeleton, his eyes were sunken in, and I immediately thought, he wanted to be with me, finally, when he was dying. I cried and cried while petting him gently, and nudging him to eat a lick of Churu from my finger.
Then there was a loud knock and the big loud guy was there to fix the furnace, and it scared him. After the big loud guy went down to the basement, Butterscotch came out again and was sitting in the hallway. I walked over to him and picked him up and put him on the bed in the other spare bedroom. He just buried his head in his arm, and curled up in the little round cat bed I had set him in.
I went to bed that night and said a prayer that God would take him overnight, but he was still alive in the morning. Again, I sat with him and talked to him quietly telling him what a good boy he was, and how I wished he could have done this sooner. Then I would have known he was sick.
Someone asked me why I didn't take him to the vet to have him euthanized. Because it would have caused him such trauma - it was bad enough he came up and allowed me to love him - where the vet would have such trouble even finding a vein due to how thin he was. It was better for him to pass at home.
I loved this little guy, and wish I could have had more time with him. He is at peace now, and his friends, whom he spent time with during the day while I was working, miss him too.
Kristin came by late afternoon and took Butterscotch home with her, but be buried along with other fur babies, because she has a lot of land, and she and her husband Darrin will dig a little grave for him and say a little prayer. Thank you Kristin.
Here are pictures of Butterscotch through the years:
And here was Butterscotch yesterday morning before he passed:
I am going to share some posts from the past that included Butterscotch - I was reading them this evening, and thought how interesting this blog used to be! Time slows us down, that is for sure... I hope you take the time to read these, some of my best days, behind me....
My friend Kristin came over on Wednesday and we went back into the hood that morning and she helped me secure five or so shelters. It helped immensely. Sheryl took over for her on Sunday, helping me with a few also. The proof was in the pudding, so to speak, when I went to the shelters this morning to feed all those hungry mouths, and the tarps and boards hadn't budged after the ferocious wind and rain we had last night. I heard it in the wee hours of the morning, pounding against my window.
I also had two people reach out to me looking for a kitty. I decided that they could either choose from Lacey, the beautiful white female who is being fostered by Nancy, or they could choose from Charlie and Fluffypants, who desperately need to be removed from the streets. Charlie is bullied by several other cats on Central, and cries and cries while I am there, most likely saying 'take me home, take me out of this hell, please.... ' and then there is Fluffypants, who crosses the busy street each morning, as he rolls over on his back, waiting for a scratch and a pat, meowing the same thing (I know that sounded a bit weird, I sound like a REAL CRAZY cat lady now). :) Here are pictures of Charlie and Fluffypants that I took thIs morning before my #@$%#@ camera died on me, and I am still hoping to get a good picture of Lacey. Fingers crossed, we will have two matches! (BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO SEE THESE BABIES UP CLOSE!)
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| CHARLIE |
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| If you click on the picture, look close, its the lion from Wizard of Oz! |
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| FLUFFYPANTS |
I have had several people donate shelters to me, and I am extremely grateful for them. These cats are so territorial - at some locations, you can never have enough shelters for each of them. They don't share nicely.
My Butterscotch is still frightened to death. I had friends come over yesterday - in fact one was Brady, who asked his friends to donate cat food in lieu of birthday gifts, and a good amount was delivered yesterday. Brady, you are a good kid. Thanks for your generous heart. When I brought out Butterscotch for them to meet, Butterscotch trembled practically the whole time. I wish I had a better way to get this cat more socialized. Poor thing. But he is so sweet - not a mean bone in his little 8 month old body.
I wish you all a good day! Eh!
That best portion of a good man's life; his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Well, guess what. Another rescue! Nehemia is going to be adopted! His new moms name is Azure - such a beautiful name, and obviously a big heart. She also has renamed him Barney! I will be bringing him over to meet his new mom this evening! Hurray! And thanks Julie for finding Azure for me! Azure was one of Julie's fosters for Another Change Pet Rescue, which Julie was the founder/president of. Its disbanded now, but thank goodness the compassion is still in every one of its member's hearts to continue to care for animals. Barney was picked up at the clinic, extremely doped up, and spent a very restless night at my house. Crying all night. This is truly a street cat, that knows nothing about love, gentleness, warmth, and kindness. He just sits and cries and wonders what is happening to him. He is a very beat up cat too. He has lived through quite a few turbulent years being homeless with the weather and just trying to survive the street life. He, along with all the others, surely deserves a home, but its going to take a little while for Barney to get used to it. I pray this girl has nothing but patience and love to give him. Patience is key.
Niles will be put back on the street today. So will Polly, the second twin that Laura successfully trapped yesterday for spaying. Thank you Diane and Laura for your help in cleaning up the area that I feed, shelter and do my best to control the population of hundreds of cats that need help 365 days a year. I do my best with what little resources I have, and most of the time, its just little old me doing it. I am so grateful.
Tomorrow, I set two more traps on Parsells, where I feed under a tree just before my REAL first spot/shelter is. There is another pregnant kitty there that I saw a few days ago, and at least two more cats that have not been spayed/neutered. I have two more appointments scheduled at the clinic tomorrow. Thats four more cats that will not be reproducing in just one week! Wish me luck.
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| Vanessa just rescued with her black baby |
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| Vanessa Today |
My little Vanessa had to go to the doctor yesterday. She has been 'coughing' - almost like she is going to spit up a hairball, but it never comes up. This has been going on for a while before I decided she should probably be looked at. She may have asthma, they say, and/or an upper respiratory, so after an extra, she was sent home with steroids and Clavamox. To the tune of $191. Thanks Vanessa. And thank you MasterCard. She actually seems to be doing better this morning after her first round of pills! I had some litter donated to me that was very dusty, and that might have triggered it a few weeks ago.
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| GEORGE and SCOOTER (loving their new bed (and each other!)) |
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| BUTTERSCOTCH |
I leave you with more pictures of some of my brats. Don't forget to click on the pics for a close up view.
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| BRADY BOY |
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| LEO |
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| BUSTER and MARYJANE |
Weather in Rochester today:
Lake Effect Snow Warning/Advisories, & Wind Chill Advisories A lake effect snow warning is in effect for Wyoming County through 10am Wednesday. A lake effect snow advisory is in effect for Monroe and Wayne Counties through 4am Thursday. Lake snow has the potential to bring 4-7" of accumulation in the most persistent snow bands. A wind chill advisory for all WNY is in effect from 10am Wednesday through 10am Thursday. Winds between 15-25 mph will create wind chill values as low as 20 degrees below zero through this time period.
Read More at: http://www.13wham.com/weather/#.VK0t8I03vgU
I don't think I have to convince you of how bad it is outside today - please say prayers to all those that have no shelter - that includes humans too.
Why, who is this in my bathroom?
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| TIGGER! |
and who is this???
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| JELLY! |
and my goodness, who is this???
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| BUTTERSCOTCH! |
These are all extra cats in my house! It was an insane morning. I rescued Tigger from Garson, and wow, I've never seen a more happier cat in my life. He is SO GRATEFUL to be warm and safe! I have him in one bathroom, I have Jelly in the other one, and Butterscotch continues to hide, although he has made progress - I hear him playing upstairs with Leo, running back and forth, and when I lye in bed, he is laying on the floor watching me. Thats progress. But it takes a while to wrangle him, and then you have to hold him because he needs that human contact. But now with these other two, its very hard. I will be taking Jelly to the clinic today for shots and Leukemia testing, and Tigger will be going tomorrow for neutering, shots and testing.
I am praying someone steps up and offers to foster Tigger. He is a BEAUTY! He is SO affectionate. I held him on my lap this morning, and he just did not want to get down. He was loving that human contact. I called for him when I pulled up, and Garcon ran to me, but no sign of Tigger. Then, I saw him from the side, running to me. I immediately thought 'he is not using the shelters' and my heart just sank. I swooped him up and he was a willing participant. Quiet as a mouse, and then he sprung out of the carrier like a cannon! He is going to make someone such a sweet sweet sweet boy. He reminds me so much of Webster, who I rescued from Webster Avenue two months ago and is now in a warm and loving home with Toni and her family. PS, Tigger really does look like the Winnie the Pooh character! Except for his color!
So sorry to hear about Butterscotch. It's so hard and doesn't get easier. Bless you for the amazing love you have for all of the
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