Thats Life!

"Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian." 

So true.  I consider my self to be a good person, with a good heart, but I still get my share of something going wrong, each and every day.  My gutter came down recently (not the first time) due to rotting wood underneath it - the gutter is normally attached to the garage that's roof is barely there, growing moss on top of it.  The other three sides are all cracking and peeling.  As I was standing at my garage last night, I looked at the house, where the wood on the porch is rotting, paint peeling...  and that was all after I turned the dryer on, for the SECOND time for the same load, to run another 40 minutes, because the dryer is dying.  And that was after I got home and parked my car with the muffler with the hole in it.  Boy, could I go on and on and on. 

My one thing though that I would ask of you is that if you or someone you know has a futon or gently used bed to donate, it would be appreciated.  I've been offered twice now a futon by two different individuals and after waiting and waiting to get them, both deals fell through.  I can't tell you how disappointing this is to Wally, the man I have befriended,  Wally has nothing in life to look forward to due to his unfortunate circumstances, being an elderly black man on a very low income (SSI).  I hate thinking about having to tell him this latest news about not getting the futon.  He sleeps on a bed (he has no couch either) that the coils are coming right through.  I feel terrible for him.  I wish I could win the lottery, he would be the first on my list to help out.  This cat business is killing me.  If I didn't have the expenses from feeding the cats every day, I wouldn't be a wealthy woman, but I would be able to afford $100 to have my gutter fixed. 

Sorry -- TMI?  Maybe.  Otherwise, I had a lot to tell you about the kitties, and one story in particular, but I've forgotten.  I must get a tape recorder and tape my thoughts cause they fly right out the window if i don't write them down.  The post I wanted to write I thought of last night, and of course, 12 hours later I can't remember.  Oh well. 

This very nice lady I've recently become acquainted with read the story about Jackson.  Sure enough, I did 'feel behind there' and discovered Jackson is a girl.  So, this lady suggested she be Jackie, which I like.  Jackie it is!  I'll also bet that this very friendly stray, who is desperately wanting to go home with me, is fixed.  She has not been nor does she show signs of being pregnant.  Time will tell.  I am also hoping to get some TNR'g done soon, thanks to two offers recently.  Thanks everyone for reading today.  Make it a great one!  :)

Love is in the air...

I was thinking as I was driving around this morning, thinking of what I was observing.  At each spot, all 13 of them, I see an average of 4 cats.  Some are right out in the open and come running to me, most actually, but some I don't see all of the cats at a particular spot until I am just pulling away, and then they all come out of the woodwork.  I think about springtime, I heard the birdies chirping, birds that I have not heard all winter.  I think about all the cats that are going to be mating soon.  And all the new litters that will be produced.  I also think about the spaying that should be going on with all these cats, and how I can't do it alone.  I know I keep asking, and I will continue to keep asking for help with this regard.  If I could get one or two from each spot neutered, there would be less heartache in the future.  One clinic I use I can barely get one appointment a month.  I need help with transport mainly, and I am only able to trap one cat if I have the opportunity, due to time constraints, letting them back out, etc.  I am just not that professional when it comes to trapping and getting it done.  So I ask for help!

I am proud of one thing though.  I managed to pill two cats with Clavamox, ones I suspected of having upper respiratory infections.  I place it in a little ball of wet food and placed that in the dish.  They gobbled it right up without knowing a thing!  I also found out that Jackson may be a girl also!   I 'inspected' her as she got out of my car this morning for her morning cuddle.  I am terrible at naming cats!  Have a good day!

The difficulties of life are meant to make us better, not bitter.

I am hoping I am better by the difficulties I face and overcome each day.  I know there are others that have become bitter over their circumstances.  I am glad I am not one of them.

today is hopefully the last day of the very cold temperatures we've been experiencing over the weekend.  It has been in the teens!  My sister-in-law in Australia wrote me to say they are going into their fall season, and temps for the day have been around 30 something celcius.  Thats 100 degrees farenheit!  I'll take that over the teens any day!  Maybe.  Then again, maybe not.  OK, regardless, I made the kitties I feed daily a bit more comfortable than they would be with no food for today.  There was no rain or snow yesterday, so towels were still dry.  The usual suspects - the ones I've named - are still there, with a thankful meow to greet me.  Big Red, Talky, Sparkle, Jimmy, Bully, Angel and Jackson.  Of course, I have not named the other 30 or so cats I see each morning.  I am just not that clever.  Its hard enough getting in and out of the car for the 13 stops I make, let alone try to name all the cats I feed. 

At the one spot where the crazy person goes to rearrange my stuff, and as I mentioned yesterday I would get the wording on the paper plate (see my post from yesterday if you don't know what I am talking about).  Here is what it says:  "If you would benefit from knowing who has vandalized the door I can check the traffic video – I need to know the date and if the vandalism occurred when you check them (here they drew a box to be checked off), before you checked them (box) or after you checked them (box). Can you approximate the exact time – I believe the community needs to know who among them is so cruel." 

There is a level of intelligence here, but this person is whacked.  I do believe there are some very intelligent crazy people, right?   Anyways, this time someone smashed to smithereens the plastic dish for water.  And of course the towel was missing and the blankets were all rearranged.  I would love to film what goes on here in my absence.  The same kitties run to me here each morning.  Two are very very sweet.  I would love to rescue them.  We just need more people to take them in!  Please pass this around - maybe we have some potential fosters out there.  You never know!  The picture here is of the door before this person broke it in half.  This should give you a better idea of how I had it set up, with straw underneath it.   The other pic is how it looks when I pull up to this location.  The kitties are waiting, and the lunatic is no where to be seen.

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere.

Isn't that the truth.  We all face obstacles in life.  How we deal with them is what defines us.  I deal with obstacles one at a time.  Head on.  I think that makes me a strong person.  Tough on the outside, but so soft on the inside - there are others that have a hard time facing their obstacles, and their lives show it.  They are the ones in poverty, in despair, just getting by each day.  People like Wally, like Miss B. I spent a little time with Wally yesterday, and for being in his situation, which he carved out for himself, he is still a nice man.  He makes me laugh.  Wally is a black man, in his early to mid-60's, although walks and looks older - he has dreams, and gets sad on occasion because of the obstacles he faces by being in the welfare system.  I can only do so much to help him, to cheer him, and that I do, because we have a really fun repore together.

Anyways, this is a picture of Tabitha, the kitty I rescued last Wednesday off the street, who delivered her five babies two days later, on Friday.  You can sort of see her kittens, but I will try to get a better picture.  I went to visit the new mother Friday after work, and held the tiny things.  They are the size of my finger, so so tiny.  But so so precious!  Speaking of Friday after work, I also met with the girl who took the second pregnant kitty I rescued that morning, from Hayward.  She is not as far along as Tabitha was, so there is time.  She has a vet appt. set up tomorrow, so fingers crossed her testing comes out clean for any disease.  By the way, she has been officially named Taffy!  Love it.  Great stories this past week!

I wanted to share with you this picture...  its a paper plate with a note left for me on the porch where the crazy person goes and does crazy things with the shelters and door I had as protection from the snow with straw under neath.  On the other side is a note that I had left after this nut case finally broke the door in half, and destroyed the only thing that was protection for the cats on this porch.  My note said something like:  "Congratulations, you finally did it.  You broke the door so that it can't be used for the cats to cover their straw which is keeping them warm and dry this winter.  Did it make you feel good?"  And then ended with "I am sure God is proud of you!"  The next day half the door was placed back covering the straw, just barely, but it showed this person had some compassion in them.  A few days later I got this note back on the other side.  I am sure it was written by the same person - who else would write this, and take a look at the nutty boxes he/she wanted me to check off: 

I hope you can read it - if not, I will bring the actual plate in tomorrow and type it out for you.  Nutcase.  There are two sweet cats at that spot that greet me each morning. Both SUPER sweet.  One has URI, which I need to bring medicine for, poor baby.  I keep forgetting to bring.  I will have to place in tuna so the kitty should be unaware of the meds in while gobbling this delicacy.  I had one of the red kitties there TNR'd months ago.  Funny, this cat was practically full feral, and now it runs to my car and meows.  Still won't let me get too near him, but more trusting of me, for sure.  Have a great day.

As One Dies, Another is Born

Buster - RIP - 03/02/2012

Tabitha, the very very pregnant cat I rescued from Grand on Wednesday -

SHE HAD HER BABIES TODAY!!!  :)

Dreams are Free, so Free Your Dreams...

Life without dreams would be so dull.  I live in a fantasy world when I dream.  I have had the most insane dreams throughout my life, recurring ones that include lions, tiger, bears and kittens!  Always in the woods, always a log cabin.  Thank God for recurring dreams!  I also dream of a world where we have no sadness, no cruelty, no homelessness.  Its a dream that most likely will never come true, but thank God I still have the ability to dream.

If you recall, there has been a second pregnant cat out there, one not as large as the cat I rescued Wednesday - Tabitha.  A friend told me about a person inquiring within her rescue about taking in a pregnant cat.  My friend, in turn, have me her number, I called her, she said she would love to take the second pregnant kitten.  I went out this morning and rescued this second pregnant kitten!  Here is her picture.  She refused to open her eyes with each picture taken, so you can't see how big and round her eyes are!  She is a very young, very sweet little girl, and so so grateful to be INDOORS on my bathroom window ledge watching the birds at the feeder for the day, until I transport her to the meeting spot to meet her new mom!  I am so thrilled about this!  I worried so much about not being able to get this cat 'fixed' before she had her babies.  I believe with her being so young, she could have the babies at any time even though her belly is not as swollen as Tabitha's (still) is. 

On a sad and final note:  I received the following from my friend who took in the kitty I rescued that was emaciated - and he turned out to be positive for both leukemia and FIV.  She named him Buster - yes, i have a Buster too.  Here is what she sent me this morning.  Heartbreaking, but so thankful he had a such a loving caretaker for his final days :

Oh Janine - Buster died this morning.

I got his window seat up last night, set him on it and opened the window. We were looking out at the night and I thought he might get closer and sit in the ledge but nope - he sat right next to me then leaned into me. He'd probably had enough of the outdoors.

He ate good right up to the end - when I turned the light off last night, he was chowing down some canned - he was up to a can a day plus eating dry. But I guess the ravages of his diseases were too bad and there was no turning around. I was just hoping for longer time with him. He was sooooo sweet.

Goodbye, sweet Buster.

Good News!

First, please check out the new buttons to the right!  How exciting, and thanks Jessica for helping me with this!

OK, I will give you play by play.  The abandoned cat:  My cop friend called me in the afternoon to tell me she had called Brighton PD to ask them to go over to the woman who owns the Hayward house's other residence in Brighton.  They told her they had just arrested the woman the day before for growing pot in her house!  Anyways, she was out on bail, but wasn't responding to any requests to come get her cat out of Hayward.  So, cop friend gathered with the humane society and animal control to meet the fire department over at Hayward house.  Of course, was still in contact with Supervisor Tom at Animal Control, who also went over and didn't hear or see cat.  When cop friend and other authorities went yesterday, they STILL couldn't see cat nor hear it.  Finally, after I told cop friend to make the kissing noises, and really listen, they heard her, and then saw her through the window!!! So then the fire fighters wedged opn the window with a crowbar, everyone went in, and the cat ran.  Here were four uniformed big men and cop friend all chasing a cat around this empty house!  They did get her and did confirm there was no food or water.  Thank GOD I persisted on this one!!!  Poor Baby.  Last report is that the cat in in the stray holding area at Lollipop.  Would rather have her there eating and drinking for now than suffering in this house.  This woman that owns this house is evil!

This picture is of one of my spots.  Let me tell you, I am NOT a slob, but people have been placing odd things there, and I have to make the best of it.  Someone placed those boxes in the middle upside down, with good intentions obviously.  This is where someone has been putting slop down too.   But at least I have warm containers the kitties can go into in the cold, they have not been stolen yet!  And in the corner in the back, there is straw under the board, and blanket.  So, this is a pretty good shelter in my opinion.  Thats Angel in red, unnamed in black and white, and tiger is Jimmy.  Bully is on the railing watching.

Another bit of GREAT news!  My buddy Julie has taken in the very very pregnant cat, now named Tabitha, brought her for testing, she tested negative for disease, got her shots, etc., and will be giving birth to what we think will be MANY babies any day.  She is ready to POP!  I am SO thankful I went back there after my rounds on my way home.  I prayed and prayed and prayed she would be there.  Thank you LORD!  I have an idea, I would really like to print up some fliers and place them on peoples houses, with her picture on there, ask them if they knew they had a very pregant cat right in front of their eyes and shame them.  Of course I will word it well, but I also want to add some statistics of how many more cats they would have on their hands if this cat had remained there and given birth outside.  There are already five more on that corner.  And two have been rescued just recently and are in the care of my friend.  She took 'Buster' in who tested positive for leukemia and FIV, amongst many other problems, and is caring for the little guy until his end.  She has been making him as comfortable as possible, and I" and that cat will be forever grateful for her huge heart.

I have SO much more to share, but thanks to a wonderful reader from California, Chris, who sent me a donation.  I am blown away by complete strangers' generosity sometimes.  Truly truly blown away.  No one can quite understand how much of a difference it makes to me with a little help here and there.  To all of you, and you know who you are, thank you so very much. 

Picture here is of my next problem - this young female under a year that is pregnant.  Its the tiger.  I must find a clinic that can take her immediately!