McKinley has been inside for about two months now. I have had to break up so many fights, and watch this beautiful Maine Coon mix pace….pace…pace..much like a lion in a small cage. The pacing has been endless and he has dropped weight as well. Last night, he started moaning by the window. It was such a sad song for him and I knew he wanted his freedom. Ever since that horrible day when he returned from his first “adoption” he has been so different. I can’t prove it, but I suspect the women who sucked me in wanted him for pit bull bait.

So, I gave him a giant hug and opened up the window. The first thing he did was turn about and brush my cheek, then he leaped to the ground and went over to the feral feeder to eat. After he was satisfied he vanished into the tall grasses.

I do not know where he goes, only that he stays away for days and days and comes back with cockle burrs in his coat, sometimes he is wet like he had to wade through the creek and he is always dirty.

But it is his wish to be outside, to be free whatever that freedom is going to cost him. I send him out with prayer and hope to see him again. I don’t know what he endured the time he was “adopted” out, but I suspect for him it was hell. I know it was for me.

Here is what I am talking about:

McKinley’s Story

Someone recently asked me how many cats I currently have. I am always hesitant to tell people because the number is quite high- though not by choice. I am always afraid that someone will visualize me as the craziest of cat ladies, someone who pushes a cart around town filled to the brim with stray cats. Or that they might think my home is filled with trash, overflowing litter pans, sick kitties, and God knows what else. Nothing could be further from the truth.

So, I took a deep breath and told this woman that I have 26 cats. Then, I guess she was testing me, she asked me to name them! So another deep breath and I rattled off their names: Squirrel, Riley, Rocky, Sierra, McKinley, Taylor, Barnum, Cole, Slim, Merlin, Sharky, Frasier, Chappy, Dash, Trump, Tyler, Shasta, Mercedes, Charlie, Fiona, MK, Tandem, Axle, Slim, and Phoebe. I was out of breath when I finished and I guess she was impressed. She makes interactive toys for kitties and she is going to send me toys every month for my kitties. I was so flabbergasted.

Today was change-out litter pan day. It takes me two hours to dump, scrub, clean and spray out all the litter pans. Even though it is fall, it was a balmy 85 degrees! I was dripping sweat by the end of the chores- and the kitties, well they were so appreciative, they immediately went into each box and soiled them for me. Aren’t they sweet? LOL

Even though I was tired, I took Brook for a walk. I get too sad walking the trails, so I now take her to the dog park. There wasn’t anyone there when we got there, so we took the upper trail (which is about a half an hour walk ending at the river). When we got back to the car, there were some large breed dogs inside the park, so I took her in to see what she would do. She was great, she was tired and there were two labradoodles- beautiful boys very well behaved, a golden retriever by the name of Wilson and an Aussie named Jetta. She chased about 3 balls and then realized her legs were hurting so she quit and just laid down by me. Everyone thought she was so nice and beautiful-and she is. She would be prettier if she had her full coat- but they shaved her pretty close before we picked her up.

Her weight now is 110 pounds. I weighed her at the local feed store. They have a floor scale.

This morning, Kismet went to a new home. She will be an only cat (which is such a relief) because right now, she doesn’t seem to like any cat. I told the people about the wierd yellow poo that is sometimes formed and sometimes not and also told them that she has tested negative for everything, been dewormed, deflead and we were still battling her earmites, and they still wanted her! I took her over this afternoon and she immediately showed them what I was talking about in regards to her poop. They just scooped it out of the litter pan and said they felt sorry for her.

I’m just baffled, one vet is telling me she is clearing out her system from god knows what she was eating prior to this. The Feline Specialist said that she wouldn’t be that worried because there are no more symptoms that she is showing and she is pooping in the litterpan and not on the floor and she isn’t draining anything nasty.

So. she is in a new home and she went down under a dresser which thankfully had a wide enough opening underneath that you can see her without bending down. I have never adopted out a kitten that wasn’t healthy (at least not intentionally) I kept telling Debbie that I would be happy to keep her until the diarrhea gets under control but she told me don’t be silly. I had her on Albon and she has had all the dewormers so I am hoping this poo is because of stress, (Charlie hated her and would actually charge down the hallway and ram the screen to get to her.) So maybe this will calm down soon and she will be okay. They are keeping her spay appointment on the 4th and she is inside for the rest of her days! Yay!

I took Brook to the trails today and though it felt like a graveyard, we walked for almost an hour before turning around. It felt good to get out even if it is 85 degrees right now- even though it is fall!

There is a place down the road for sale, that I would love to buy. It’s 191 acres of mostly trees but with some fields. Three houses, several barns and out buildings and would be so perfect for the cats. The rancher liked his privacy and because it is on a main road, he built this tall fence all the way around his land! And I do mean tall- it would be purfect to just put some of purrfect fencing around the existing fence to keep the cats inside. It would be a perfect feral cat habitat- the price? He is asking a mere half-a-million dollars for it!

I weep for the forest,
the old growth and new,
Are tossed on the ground
Like some toothpick stew.

The piles are silent,
Once spruces, so grand,
This greed Man possesses
I?ll not understand

As I walked up the trails
Tears blurred my eyes.
I was in the midst of a graveyard
Where all trees had died.

I bowed my head down to God,
Knelt down at My Place,
And prayed for the forest
That progress erased.

I see him sneaking through the tall grass, my sleek, senior buddy. He vanishes from sight for a few moments, except for the tip of his quivering tail that hangs like an arrow above the long grasses.

When he emerges from the green sea, he gives out his customary chirp. I know he has once again scored a field mouse and his chirp is his signal to me that means “Grab a plate, Mom, I’m bringing home dinner!”

True to his word, he arrives moments later at the back door and deposits the mouse proudly at my feet. The mouse, I am sorry to say is now headless- for Riley like all true hunters of the feline persuasion will always claim the head first leaving the rest for later (or in this case, for me).

As the day grows long, the stack of trophies increases making footing slippy and treacherous until I have to spray off the stoop.

I understand his urgency. He realizes that winter is fast approaching and food needs to be stored. But beyond that, my 19 year old boy realizes that his days are also coming to an end and he wants to impress upon me that he still has the will to keep on going, even though his liver is malfunctioning and he has become incontinent, leaving his pee mail in the most inappropriate of places when he is indoors.

I stroke his back and notice more bald spots have appeared virtually overnight. The pain that leaks through the medicine prompts him to pull out his fur in frustration. His back is a jigsaw puzzle and his tail is almost bare. Nothing the vet has prescribed for him has stopped this self-mutulation, but for awhile a strong broad-based antibiotic stopped him from stripping away his fur.

I think back to the day he arrived here. Found high in one of our trees in the front yard, I had to climb up over sixteen feet just to bring him down to earth. I look at him and confess that I too, am feeling my age. I doubt I could climb that ol walnut tree six feet today, let alone sixteen feet. And though there are times when I want to pull out my gray hair by the roots- I leave the hairs alone, they are a reminder that I am also approaching the winter of my soul.

Starting today, Feralcatbehavior is launching a Photo Contest for Cat lovers, celebrating the crazy world of cat ownership.

The contest starts today and will run through the last part of October. Send us your funniest cat photos.

We have all been there when kitty discovers the roll of toilet paper and starts to play…or curiousity gets the best of him and he creeps into the refrigerator while the door is open and falls asleep next to the fruit. We have all had those special moments with our cats that make us LOL or just giggle uncontrollably.

Submit your photos to webcomposer@comcast.net

The winner will receive, courtesy of Sturdi Products a soft-sided cat carrier. Blog readers will vote on the best photo once they are published at the end of the month.

So tell your best cat buddies. We want to celebrate the craziness of cat ownership, Embrace the embarassing moments when Kitty gets the best of you- and laugh along with you as we explore the funny side of cats!

This morning Kismet exploded not only in the litter pan, but also on the walls and floors. There was waste and emesis everywhere raising in me the dread that she had one of the diseases and this was a consequence of that.

I just returned from the vet where she tested Negative (YAY!) she has been dewormed, de-flead and vaccinated. She is on the spay schedule for Oct 4th and then I will find her a loving home where she can live out her days in comfort.

The explosion I saw this morning, according to the vet is likely brought about by her being confined. With her layers of ear mites, flea problems and worms it is quite clear that she either was inside for only a short while or she has lived her entire existence outside.

I had shut both doors to the bedroom even though they are screened- but now I am leaving one opened and I watched her run to the window scratch frantically at the glass trying to get out and pace the room looking for an escape route. About broke my heart let me tell you.

So we will see what happens. Right now she is so aggressive towards the other cats that putting her into general population isn’t even an option. Let’s see what time spent with the wooden door opened and the screened door closed will do.

Tonight while I was on a distress call for a friend, a kitty wandered into the road, laid down in front of my car and meowed at me. I tried to ignore her, but finally made my way over to her (thinking she would take off like a shot) She didn’t. She piledrove her head into my armpit when I picked her up, headbumping me so hard I almost fell over!

She is a Siamese mix-totally beautiful, very young and pregnant.
The only people out at that time of night said they had never seen her before, so now, she is in the bedroom.

I am taking her to the vet in the morning to get her vaccinated and checked. I call her Kismet

This morning, instead of following my usual procedure on payday- going to the bank first, then going to get cat food, I switched the order.

I was shopping for cat food at Wal-Mart and I noticed a woman piling canned cat food into her cart. I walked over and I was laughing when I said “My, you must have a lot of cats!” She looked at me so ruefully and said “Yes, I have five!” I laughed, looked at her overflowing cart and told her “Well I have you beat!”

So we started talking about how irresponsible people are not to spay and neuter. She lives out in the country and people dump off cats and dogs on her all the time. Bless her heart the first thing she does is neuter them.

I was telling her about my life, and how many cats we have and she just listened. I told her that I wished she would have a wonderful day and it was great to meet someone with that cats best interest at heart. Then I went around to the other aisle where they keep dry food. As I was piling Whiskas in my cart, she came behind me and said; “Here, I want you to have this.” Then she gently pressed my palm. I looked down to see $50.00 folded there!

I about lost it, I grabbed her and hugged her, I was crying and so touched. For a stranger to reach out in kindness to someone they just met- just doesn’t happen anymore. I told her God would bless her ten-fold for her kindness.

She also took my business card and said she would be in touch- but you know what? She has already touched me in a very meaningful way-

I am not sure how this is happening, but it is. The doors are slowly opening for me to attend a woman’s retreat the second week in October.

I am truly at a crisis of faith at this point in my life. I was a strong Christian back in the day, even being one of those annoying Bible thumpers on the piers telling people about the saving grace of God. Then, my son died and instead of my faith being strengthened, it fell completely apart and I hit rock-bottom at the age of 22 when I had to have a total hysterectomy.

In retrospect, I got angry with God for all the wrong reasons and my life turned into a horrible direction of addiction to so many unhealthy things. Four years later, I pulled myself out of the muck and mire, divorced my husband, found a great job and re-established my relationship with God.

I met Mike not soon after and he is a Godly, loving man- but then we moved to a town that is spiritually dead in so many ways and I lost the treasure known as daily fellowship.

That is probably it in a capsule and now I have an opportunity to attend a Woman of Faith retreat. I know we are stretched financially and we owe so many creditors so much money- but I feel if I don’t go to this- I could implode and that is the basic truth.

Losing the cats and kittens this year, seeing my husband decline so steadily and then the frosting on the cake, the phone call this week where the doctor told me based on the recent tests they have run on Mike, he stands a 67% chance of developing Alzheimers- my soul broke open and I wept to God to take me back as I cannot do this alone.

I feel selfish insisting to my husband that I need this. I can’t even begin to remember when he and I went somewhere together alone- the last visit was to my family a few years ago, and that was no picnic and certainly no vacation.

But my soul feels as bare as the wind on the desert- and the opportunity to meet with women of power that are also spirit-filled just puts a smile in my heart.

I know that leaving MIke to take care of things in my two-day absence is tricky. I hope he will forgive me for this “perk.” But I really need to get back to my center again. I do not like who I am right now at this time.

God has provided a cheap price on a hotel room-and one of my girlfriends also may be going which will defray the cost of gas. I am excited and scared for this to come about- because I do not know what the aftermath will be. What if Mike falls while I am gone? What if our bills can’t be met this month- what happens then? All these thoughts fly through my head, while at work they have knocked me down to just one day a week! That hurts big time- so is this Satan’s way of trying to stop me, or is it God saying that this just isn’t a good time? I am stepping out on faith and praying it is just an obstacle put in front of a blessing.

Time will tell-

I am also waiting for word if Leslie wants Fiona or not. She so deserves to be in a home where they can dote on her.