I wanted to pause for a minute and update this blog. I try not to let what goes on behind the scenes here, affect my cat rescue. However, recently, those two worlds collided in a very big way. This caused me to have to post a very desperate plea for help. I am so grateful for those of you who pitched in and helped us out.

The kitties are doing fine, there are several new bags of dry cat food, waiting in the wings, which makes me feel extremely less stressed. Right now I have Mr. Bentley crying at the back door. It has been oppressively hot here and I’ve been letting him out of the cat enclosure early in the morning. he likes to be out in the coolness. It was 103° here at 8 PM last night. But there is oppressive heat everywhere, if not oppressive heat there are relentless storms and tornadoes and we just can’t seem to escape the craziness.

Yesterday morning when I went out to feed my irrigation pump quit flowing. I’ve been told by the doctors I need to minimize stress. That’s quite the joke. Anyway, I realized that in the recent brownouts we’ve had, the pump switches may need to be reset. So I went out to the panel and started flipping switches and thankfully an hour later I had water again!

It’s pretty scary when your ground is so dry it’s upheaving into deep crevices. My trees are so thirsty. Their limbs are almost touching the ground. Our creek is once again dry, thank God our well is still running. There is heavy smoke laying in the air. I’m not exactly sure where the wild fires are, it almost smells like burnt tires here.

The doctors are still trying to find out what caused me to fall. I fell inside the house. A few days later I ended up in the emergency room. That was quite a wake up call. At any rate, they been putting me through the wringer trying to find out why I fell. I guess in the long run, it’s pretty nice to know that at the age of 68 my ticker is still strong. My blood work is good. I just passed out for whatever reason. That’s why I posted what I did. That desperate plea for help. I was under strict orders to be a 48 hour couch, potato. This wasn’t a hard order because my truck was also giving me fits. But I had no way to get any food to my kitties. They matter the most. So thank you those of you who helped out. You have no idea how grateful you made us by your generosity.

So, life goes on in fits and bumps (as my daddy used to say.) I have not seen Elusive for several weeks now. I do not see him on the highway so I have no idea if he’s found a new home or if he’s found his old home or what happened to him. It very well could be that he’s hiding underneath one of my outbuildings and coming out at night to eat. I hope that’s the case because that’s the safest place for him. Instead of darting back-and-forth across the highway on a daily basis.

May we all stay safe during this time of crazy weather

Tomorrow evening, I will be completely out of dry cat food. I have tried everything I can think of to come up with the funds to buy one bag of Purina natural 16 pound cat food. Nothing is panning out. I don’t know what else to do, but ask on my blog for help. It’s not a good place to be in right now. But right now this is my reality.

****just wanted to update this and thank those of you who helped our cats during this difficult time.*****

Often, as kittens, go, these two have captured up my heart. They have also taken over the lower half of my home, commandeered my faux rock wall in the living room. I have gladly given them this wall. They have claimed it numerous of times. They love being on it and it’s also helping to keep their claws less sharp They are adapting well to their final change in their routine.

When I decided after the last build, to put all the cats inside the main enclosure, afterward, my life felt more out-of-balance than it ever had before. The emptiness in the house became more pronounced. Yes, Kota was by my side, he still is occasionally trying to get up in my lap, but a 95 pound German Shepherd halfway on my lap, does not compare to the comfort you get with the cat, curled up and purring on your lap.

Then came the arrival of these two kittens, who, even though they were now somewhere, safe, there were still so many changes they would have to learn to adapt to before, finally coming to how they will live the rest of their lives here with us. I would say, for the first time since their arrival, they have settled down into a routine they are starting to trust won’t ever change on them again.

Their personalities are starting to emerge. Aspen is very needy. They are very jealous of each other when it comes to my attention. When she is on my lap, she is chasing my hands constantly. I have to literally took my hands under my arms, so that my hands vanished from sight. I know from past experience, dealing with pet aggressive kitties, that if she continues to grow, her consistent chasing of my hands will grow aggressive. She will become a pet aggressive cat. I am doing everything in my power to not let that happen. I try to limit my petting time with her, trying not to create a monster however, she is quite persistent in the chase.

Laurel (turns out) she is my great hunter. She is on the alert starting at dusk tracking the mice within my walls. Despite my best efforts, I still have a mouse issue. I see her at night, perched by the stove. For some reason even after all of the barricading and insulating that was done behind my oven, I still have mice coming in. I know that once they make a mistake and get out in the kitchen, she will make short work of them. She has the same tendency as Twist when it comes to meeting her true prey. I have no doubt she will go to work the minute she sees a mouse.

So there is balance again in the home. Nathan and I are in the process of putting up a linoleum splash guard around the litter boxes to catch all the overspray. Currently the kitties are vigilant about me. On the 20th, I experienced a health scare that landed me in the emergency room. Within 10 minutes of arriving there they did an x-ray, they started an IV pushing fluids and antibiotics and painkillers. I also had a CAT scan. All of this was surreal and not connected to any way to my shoulder injury. When I woke up that morning, I was in so much pain I thought I had had a stroke. When I looked in the mirror, I saw a face that was unrecognizable . I drove myself to urgent care who immediately transferred me to the emergency room across the street.

The doctors told me they wanted to admit me, but there were no available beds.I was sent home with an arsenal of pills to deal with the infection and told to do nothing for at least a week. When it came to getting things done during that week, my mind was willing but my body would not respond.

I am better now, part of my healing. I am placing on these two kittens, who immediately sense to my distress and wouldn’t leave my side. Their prayers were comforting and much-needed medicine for my soul. The bacterial infection that had invaded my body is leaving (albeit slower than I would like it to) but it’s all good, made much better with cats in my lap.

This infection has wiped me out on so many levels. I am currently taking nine anabiotic’s today at 150 mg of peace. I will say one more thing about the medicine they sent home. With all the controversies surrounding the opioid, oxycodone, when it comes to pain relief, it rocks!

When they told me that I had to take this, I told them to only give me 10. I was suddenly taken back to when Michael was so sick. The doctors put Mike on hydrocodone for 17 years! Not once reducing the dosage, sometimes increasing it. Never stopping it. Michael was so addicted that at the end, when I would present him with his bag from the drugstore.(what an appropriate name that is!)he would dump the pills out on his desk and hand count them to make sure that he hadn’t been shorted! It was painful to watch.

At any rate, onward and upward. If anyone reading this right now, can help us out by sending dry cat food or money for the Kitty, this would be much appreciated. I wish all of you the best of health, the brightest of spirits, and I hoping your day you find someone or something you care about and you let them know how important they are.

God bless you all. Enjoy the pictures of the kitties in their new habitat.

This morning, before I even went outside, I looked out the living room window to see what the weather might be like. That’s when I noticed Elusive has returned. He was in my front yard looking across the highway.

With my heart in my throat, I stepped back a little to watch and see what he does. I knew that if I went outside and spoke to him or tried to stop his mad dash across the highway, that could go very wrong. Instead, I just sat back and I watch this kitty actually gauge, the traffic on the highway. He is smart enough to know that what he is doing is very dangerous. But I watched him and could actually almost feel him thinking about what he had to accomplish, which was darting out to cross the highway without getting killed. To his credit, he did not move until the highway was completely clear of traffic. My heart was still in my throat, but I was quite impressed to see that he understands to some degree that this is a treacherous path he is chosen to make in the mornings.

I will once again start putting food out in the front yard for him, to lessen the chance of him, running into twist or Poe, and getting into a fight. I’m glad to see him back, I just wish that he would stay on the side of the highway, he’s playing a dangerous game of roulette.

Today has been a very long and strange day. I went to see the orthopedic surgeon, she was very nice and kind. She was very direct. She did not speak down to me which I appreciated. I asked questions and they were answered. Before I even saw her, they sent me over to have some more x-rays and films done  prior to the appointment.

she revealed several things to me, based on what she sees in all the films. I did not tear my rotator cuff, I don’t Have a rotator cuff. According to her evaluation,  the incident that ruined and destroyed my rotator cuff happened over two years ago. That would put it around the time that Kota got attacked and I pulled that monster attacking dog off of my dog.

I asked the doctor why is took so long for it to be diagnosed? Before this, I was just always told when I went in to see the doctor about my sore shoulder that I had arthritis, bursitis, and osteopenia. For that, she didn’t really have an answer.

She recommended surgery, the only thing is, on this type of surgery that they would do, I would have a complete shoulder replacement. They do not even try to do this surgery for at least six months. They want the drugs on board first. I received my first injection of a combination of cortisone, a numbing agent and a painkiller this morning. The next injection will be in September. My hope is that the injections will help relieve the amount of pain I’ve been dealing with for so long. And perhaps with repeated injections, the surgery will not even be needed. That’s my new hope.

If they can’t put a handle on all the pain, and I do have the surgery. I will be in the hospital from 1 to 5 days depending on what happens. I would be in an immobile sling for nine weeks. During that time I would start a low grade of physical therapy. After the nine weeks, the physical therapy would ramp up. The recovery time for this type of complete shoulder rebuild event is 6 to 8 months. She did say that the people that do have the surgery, generally afterwards, after all the physical therapy, and all the time in recovery, they don’t have any issues with pain on their shoulder again . The surgery consist of taking a titanium implant and putting it into my shoulder to rest my shoulder joint on. Bye bye bone on bone  according to the doctor, there is no cartilage, no muscle tissue nothing. The only thing covering my shoulder currently is my skin.,

So right now, we will let the drugs hopefully do what they do best, which is heal what is broken. The doctor also told me something strange and I didn’t ask for any further information. She told me that if I go ahead with the surgery in the future, I have to check in one day early because they have to get me ready for the surgery? I didn’t ask any questions about that preparation. I am just hoping that the injections will solve the issue.

I will admit that right now I am pretty out of it. The painkiller kicked in about four hours ago, the numbing agent is helping to allow my shoulder to just rest, the cortisone will start to work in two or three days. She also told me that for two days I am supposed to do nothing. I had to laugh, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I told her I can promise her 24 hours that I can be a couch  potato, but beyond that, I can’t make any promises. I still have cats here that need me, my dog with his issues, and a lot of work that needs to still be done. I will do my best, but again I have to be practical.

Out of all this two Angels have risen  two of my friends when I shared my results with them told me that if I did have to have the surgery, either one of them will just move in with me, until I am able to do things on my own. That was very heartwarming to be honest. Going through all of this alone, with no Michael to buffer anything,  has been the most overwhelming part of this whole deal. It’s nice to have answers. Finally, after all these years of being told that it was bursitis arthritis et al. It’s also nice to know that you’ve made a difference in someone’s life enough for them to sacrifice the time that it would take to walk me through recovery.

on the kitty front, both kittens are doing wonderfully. Aspen is slowly coming out of her shell. This afternoon she was very welcoming to one of my friends, who met her for the first time. She also fell in love with her immediately! she wanted to adopt her, but I know better, she has enough kitties right now, and she was only succumbing to aspens charm. She wasn’t thinking about the other eight cats at home that Aspen would have to get along with.

They are both so jealous of each other. It’s almost comical. If I’m petting Laurel, Aspen will come up and get between my hand and laurels head until I am petting both of them. Laurel, she will move and come closer to me, trying to push Aspen out of the picture. It’s the cutest tug-of-war I’ve ever been witness to. Another trick that Aspen’s doing now, when I am paying attention to Laurel, she will start to climb up my leg. Thank God she doesn’t use her claws , she just arches up on my leg and stretches her paw to try to get me to pay attention to her and leave Laurel alone. It’s just funny, especially after having so many feral kitties in my presence who want nothing to do with me. These kitties are certainly not feral . Neglected, yes they were horribly neglected. Now they’re just surrounded in love.

Laurel is adapting to her new home easier than her sister Aspen. She is getting used to Kota in small degrees which is good considering how and her other home she was having to share a very small bedroom with a very aggressive, 170 pound Rottweiler. It is going to take time and patience to let these two girls know that my dog is not aggressive and will not hurt them. They are no longer taking flight when I take him through the room to put him outside, however, they get up on the highest points that they can find in the room, and do some pretty impressive hissing in his direction.

We have opened up the back half of the house for the two kittens. I don’t believe that a third kitty will be joining them. I haven’t seen Elusive since July 4th. He hasn’t been popping up on the railroad tracks in the morning, looking in my direction for food. I suspect that because of the impressive amount of fireworks that were shot off on July 4 near my home, that Elusive has decided to find a quieter place to spend his time. At least I haven’t seen him on the road, so I have hopes that he is still alive.

We are going to have to lay down linoleum tile in the mudroom sort of in a splashguard pattern behind the litter pans. Both kittens are very impressive sprayers, so we need to compensate for that and stop any type of damage that might happen to the back rooms. at least they are not tomcats, even after a neuter, a Tomcat urine is extremely corrosive for at least 6-8 week’s

There are also plans in the work to do a catio on the back deck. This will make the kitties life a little bit easier not to mention mine. Right now, their fear of coda keeps them away from the doors. All they do is need to see his face in the doorway and they scatter. Allowing me to get in and out of the rooms without worrying about them getting out of their area.

Aspen is still quite shy and I don’t have any decent pictures of her yet, but when I do, I will post them. They are now 8 pounds which is a lot better than the 4 pounds. They were when they got here. They are really doing exceptionally well. And I have to admit it is nice to have cats in the house again even if they are not given the run of the entire house.

Yesterday, I watched his great concern as a short haired tuxedo kitty probably about five or six months old ran across the four-lane highway, ending up in my front yard. I knew if I went outside and startled him, he would just start back across the highway and that’s not something I would wish on any animal. I waited for about an hour and went outside and put out food and water in the front yard as well as a shelter, hoping that next time he comes across the highway he’ll see that he has a place that safe and he won’t go back across the highway and disappear over the railroad tracks.

I don’t know if my plan will work. Tonight I will set my trap and hopefully get him captured. I need to get Nathan back here to finish the introduction cage because that’s virtually. The only place I have to put another kitten. I suppose that once I get him tested and I’m pretty sure it’s a male, he can join the other two kittens as they seem to be around the same age. Plus, if he’s a Mail, that would be a quicker introduction and then if I have another female on my hands. I will say my heart was in my throat as I sat at the window and watched him dart across a busy highway and not get hit. Unfortunately, here in Oregon a lot of people intentionally will hit animals. They see on the road. I will never understand why that happens but I have seen cars intentionally pull over Elaine or two to hit an animal. And they never stop when they do. Right now, I am calling the newcomer Elusive  and I’m hoping he doesn’t stay that way very long .

Everything went according to my original plan, for which I am grateful. It allowed me to get home in enough time to shuffle the kittens accordingly.. I did not have to inconvenience a couple friends to come and fetch me or to ask Nathan to tow my truck back home. According to this new mechanic, who I like a great deal- all the problems. I’m having on my truck in this last year is due to the mechanics who have been working on it not providing guaranteed Ford parts. Unfortunately, I’m being charged for guaranteed Ford parts, I keep all my receipts in a manila folder in my truck. But according to him everything that has been replaced on this truck is generic.

He told me that when it comes to the engine in this truck, it’s a very fickle engine, and it only responds well with guaranteed Ford parts. Although this engine was originally made in the 80s, and Ford is completely aware of all of its problems. My mechanic said they have done nothing to make the engine better. They are still pumping out the same engine for the older models.

I’ve been told that my truck is drivable. It will still misfire. He said my engine is good so that’s a relief. So now my goal is just to start saving to get my truck fixed. I’m just relieved to know that it is drivable because the last mechanic told me the direct opposite . However, he did not put my truck up on a lift and actually look at it. He just took it for a test drive. This mechanic went over my truck with a fine-tooth comb.

Kitties were fine when I got home. I actually arrived at home ahead of the heat wave. Then last night the temperature dropped down to 41° so go figure? Who would’ve thought that I would have to run the heat in June in Oregon? This is nuts!

I have to have my truck towed to an auto repair shop in the morning. My policy limits my tows to one a day. A fact I am unfortunately well aware of. This truck has broken down so many times on me recently. So the plan is to have it towed, there it will be diagnosed, and an estimate will be given. Then if I get an all clear that it is still drivable. I will drive it back home and park in my driveway until I can afford to get it fixed. If I can’t drive at home and I have to have it towed, my insurance company will not do that until tomorrow. So then I’m faced with how to get home. I have three back up plans for that just in case the first one fails so hopefully the mechanic will tell me some good news at least maybe my truck will make it back home. Otherwise, I have to figure out how to guide three people who have never helped me in this capacity before, how to care for the cats in my absence and how to take care of Kota in my absence, who I will be leaving at home. I also know based on last years experience with my truck that the only dogs allowed in tow trucks are lap dogs. Kota does not apply.

I’m really hoping for the best case scenario here. That after the diagnostic is done, Colt will tell me  my truck will limp home, but will make it. If I promise to park it permanently until I can get it fixed.Cross your fingers for us.

Another concern for tomorrow, because it’s supposed to be another hot day. I have to find out today if I’ve figured out the airflow in the room to get it cool in there. But they’ll have to be checked on and if it’s too hot in the room they’re going to have to be moved so like I said, tomorrow’s going to be a juggling act. Hopefully not, but around here you never know what’s going to happen next.

Here is a photo of Laurel, enjoying her new room. I will say that ever since putting these two inside my mudroom, now converted cat room, Aspen has come out of her shell. She was very aloof and standoffish when she first got here. She hated to be picked up, she would squirm, she would fight she would bite. Any transportation that I did with her was only inside a carrier. That has stopped, now she is climbing all over me. When I sit down on the couch, she will come up to me,  headbutt me everywhere she possibly can. Last night she climbed on my shoulder when I was feeding. Right there tells me that I’ve done the right thing in trying to break into her trust barrier. I didn’t rush her,  I respected what she was telling me. So I was hand’s  off until she told me otherwise.

Yesterday, based on the behavior of the resident kitties, we moved Aspen and Laurel into the mudroom in the house. This is a room that is currently unfinished, there is no final flooring down, just subfloors. Originally it was a cat room with access to the outside to a cat door. We have taken the cat door and rolled it up. We screwed it down into place and put over the opening pet proof screen. This will allow air to come into the room. There is a sliding glass door and screen. Currently the screen is just regular, so it has to be rescreened with pet proof screen.

We put the old intercom system that used to exist between the shop in the house into the mudroom. Added one unit to the kitchen so that we could interfere. Should we hear any battle cries coming from these two kitties who have been through so much in such a little time.

The room will still function to hold tools, as well as a mudroom to deposit coats and shoes in, but now there’s two little feline security guards running around, making sure that their new world is safe and secure. The plan is to keep them in the room until they can gain enough weight to be able to hold their own against the other kitties. Then they will be moved into the introduction cage, which will have been extended by that time. This seems to be an easier solution than what we were looking at before. We have to make do with what we have on hand, and so this decision  came with a lot of prayer and thought.

I hope you enjoy the photos of the two girls in their new dwelling place.