Everyone Needs a Kristin

I am fortunate enough to have a person named Kristin, who more than 10- years ago heard about me and had the ‘b*lls’ to drive downtown at 5 in the morning to follow me and see what I do out there with the cats.  She has been my rock ever since.  I now receive more texts, emails, and calls from people that need help and she is always willing to at least call these people and offer some slight solution.  Every rescue needs a Kristin!

Observations:

There are far too many people walking in my neighborhood drawn to their cell phones.  They are walking their dogs, their babies, or walking alone – heads down not paying attention to what's ahead.  Not a good idea.

There are mean people who do nice things, and there are nice people who do mean things.  There is no one on this earth, the nicest person alive, who hasn’t done or thought something mean at least once.

I received a call the other day from someone wanting to ‘get rid’ of their dog.  Those words make me bristle.  To talk about an animal that needs to be rid of.  I posted it and I received a message from an old friend that she and her husband would drive to Rome New York that evening and pick up the dog.  That dog, now out of a very sad situation, is now as happy as can be in a new home with people that love her and are able to care for her better.  I am sure she had love, but sometimes living situations are not the best.  I was glad I could help.

My last post I stated that I rescued the grey cat that had been hanging around Syd & Johnny's last fall, the one that got in my truck and happily ate the food I provided.  He would cry until we let him in the truck each time we pulled up.  Well, I rescued another grey cat thinking it was him that turned out to be a female.  Sweet, and homeless nevertheless, so it was a good catch overall.  She was adopted right away so that turned out, but this grey boy is still on the street, not always at the same location.  He will be the next rescue, hopefully.

Ten Lives Club took six of our cats a month or so ago.  We had been in touch, and they offered to help with any friendly cats we had, so we rounded up the cats, and off they went, thanks to Kristin, to Buffalo New York to hopefully find a good home off the street!

One last thing on my mind today.  I have had a cat named George who I spotted over 10 years ago in the Grand Ave/Stout area in the city.  He disappeared for quite a while, months, and when I saw him next he was thin as a rail, but he was alive!  That was back in the day when we didn’t have much social media, and I wasn’t able to get cats adopted like I can today, especially having my own not-for-profit rescue.  So I named him George and off he went to my house, hoping to get him adopted, but was never successful because he wasn’t considered a ‘pretty cat.’  He had what I called a hairlip – which I am sure is not the correct definition but his bottom lip fell down and exposed a lot of his gum.  People over the years have commented because it's very noticeable, but there wasn’t anything wrong with him except he had FIV, which means nothing anymore.  But he needed to always be an indoor cat because of low immunity.

George has been with me through thick and thin, he has been Grandpa to many kittens.  He has been a big brother to my other cats.  Mellow and unassuming.  He is now very sick and very old.  He is skin and bone.  He begs me by looking into my eyes and following me around, looking for food.  I give him wet food but it's not making a difference anymore.  His eyes are sunken into his head.  I know he doesn’t feel good.  I’ve decided to say goodbye.  I have had to euthanize at least a hundred very sick cats over the past 30 years and not shed a tear for most because I was so used to it, but this one has affected me deeply.  I will miss him, and it will be the hardest goodbye for me.  I love you, George.

(you can click on the pictures to see close up)

Today