They have the capability of crawling into our hearts and changing us forever. They also retain the ability to scare us half to death in a single moment!

I have been up all night for the past three days dealing with two sick kittens. One, sadly did not make it and so another of McKenzie’s kittens has passed. He would have been a month old in a few days.

The second kitten is older and is one of my cow kitties McGee. The other morning when I was feeding, I noticed he was lying on the dog bed and not joining with the group. I kept feeding and still he didn’t move off the pillow. He looked a bit off but sometimes they run and play in the nighttime scampering through the tunnels so I just kept doing my chores.

When he still was inactive, I brought out the nekoflies. ALL came running but McGee and so with a sinking heart, I realized something was wrong with him. I am paranoid since Whisper passed and I lifted McGee and brought him into our bedroom. He was unable to walk on his front leg.

I searched for clues, bites, heat anything that told me he might be wounded, but found nothing. he was burning up so I grabbed the thermometer and the mercury went off the chart! I grabbed a digital and read 105.8! No third eye showing, no visible means of dehydration when I checked his scruff. What the devil?

I gave him sub cu and he fought me even though I warmed up the fluids prior to administering them. He didn’t want to eat. He had been find the night before running and playing with the rest. What could this be?

I started monitoring him and slipping in every two hours giving him water orally. His mouth was clear of lesions, no redness on the gums although his tongue was darker than I would have liked it to be- could this be calici?

His limping became more pronounced and then I had bad thoughts of FIP. I gave him rubbing alcohol wipedowns, kept giving him water and started mixing baby food in the feedings.

This morning, he is fine! Three days of worry and prayers, freting and lack of sleep and he is up and about eating and drinking as if nothing was ever wrong! My vet would call this a fever of unknown origin. I would call this three days in hell.

I have a story to tell you. But before I do, I need to backtrack…

About 6 months ago, I had a really sick kitty arrive here. Sinclair was the victim of malnutrition and he would get soooo stressed out at the littlest thing. I put him upstairs in the sick room, took my small portable CD player and I would play the CD Harp of Hope to help calm him down. It did almost immediately. As he started to improve a bit, I noticed he was watching me every time I would turn the player on. I had it put between a shelf and the cage where he spent most of his time. The cage door was open so he could come and go as he pleased. Soon, he was walking over the top of this CD player to turn it on and to play it! A feat in itself because the buttons are far enough apart that it really isn’t possible. But he seemed to sense when he was getting upset and took to turning this on for himself! I forgot to say he was pure Siamese 6 months old.

Sadly, he lost the fight to live and when he died, I laid him in the forest. There was snow on the ground (unheard of here in Oregon this time of year) So I just gave him back to nature. More kittens and cats were arriving, and life does go on.

Then Whisper arrived and it was clear from the start that there was something really wrong with her. I put her into the sick room and started tending to her. Took her to the vet where they tried to help but told me her kidneys were declining (she was less than a year old!) I would play the CD and it would calm her and she would only growl slightly when I assist-fed her. I would only play the CD once in the morning and once at night keeping in mind how the gal who made the CD shared with me about not “flooding the earways.”

OK, here is where it gets strange. Whisper was getting weaker, so I put her in the cage and shut her in. One morning while getting ready of the day in the bathroom downstairs, I heard the CD playing! I went upstairs, found her still in her cage- the CD going-the door was locked there was no other person or cat in the room. I was puzzled as I hadn’t gone up there that day- but it was going. I knew Mike hadn’t been upstairs due to his health issues, he can’t climb stairs anymore. I thought it was a fluke.

But it kept happening- it has happened four times and always right before Whisper would go into crisis. It started to play the day she died in my arms- she went quickly and was gone in just a few hours.

I now have another sick kitty upstairs- McGee and this morning, once again- I woke up to the sounds of harp music! I don’t know whether to be seriously creeped out- or feel blessed that perhaps Sinclair is now the manager of the music and knows when kitties need your music! My friend Dusty the only one who I have had the nerve to share this with until now says I have a ghost!

I don’t know, but what I do know is that I moved both McGee and the player downstairs this morning. Went in to start breakfast (no I did not turn the player on) When I went into the room to check on him, the player was once again playing softly in the background!

I just don’t know what to make of this- I am not a believer in ghosts, although I have had in the past two kitties return to say goodbye. You can read those stories in a book called Ghost Cats. That is not my book, just one I contributed my experiences to. I know these cats live on in heaven. But I think in this case, one has returned and he is Keeper of the Music

When she arrived, she was in rough shape. A short-haired kitty, she was matted and dirty, full of fleas and flinching at the slightest touch. I thought “she” was a he for she was so young and I named her Arby.

At the neuter appointment, my vet laughed and said the neuter turned out to be a spay! I was surprised, but she had been hiding under the bed for over four months so the mistake was one to forgive. She came home and I sat her in my lap, she was still groggy. I promised her no one would hurt her, she was safe and she could just be whoever she wanted to be.

Three months later, in the middle of the night, she crept on my chest and slept. I was thrilled. I named her Promise.

She is a mere slip of a mackeral tabby- and this morning we drove over 200 miles to present her to her new caretaker, Amanda. True to her shy form, she quickly slid under the bed before Amanda could even touch her.

But Amanda, she understands. She has patience, love and kind eyes. Otherwise, I would have never left Promise with her. She assured me she would give Promise all the time she needed to feel safe once again.

I promised I would check in on them in about a week and see how it was going. I told Amanda, as I tell anyone who adopts from me that I will take her back if she doesn’t work out. My hope is that Promise understands in a few days she is once again in good hands and now has a forever home. I kept my Promise…

Whisper died this afternoon and I am still stunned and saddened by her sudden departure. She had crawled back behind a piece of furniture and I thought at first when I found her there, that she was stuck. But after what happened, I know she went back there to die.

She was found at 10:00 this morning and gone by 3:00 she went quickly which is a saving grace but it doesn’t make me feel better at all. I did the best I could with supportive fluids and assist feedings, but in the end, her eyes were open but her will to live was gone and she faded quick.

I laid her in the forest as the land is still covered with frost and snow and I broke apart afterwards as she was such a sweet kitty.

When they handed her over to me, the husband told me that he had her vaccinated, then a few days later he let on that he lied about her vaccinations. I don’t know if vaccinating her would have saved her, but it might have helped, depending on how long she had been incubating this dreadful disease.

I’m devastated about this turn of events and I know that everything happens for a reason. I am just not sure what the reason behind this death will turn out to be.

There is a candle in the window for her to light her way- goodbye sweet girl-you are free from pain and running Heaven’s grasses with your friends.

Tonight, I signed the final, final final papers to become a non-profit! I am now a corporation:CATS. Inc., Caring About The Strays.

This means I now can place my cats on Petfinders.com, take them to Petco to try and find them homes, solicit funds through legitimate fundraisers and look for sponsors as soon as I figure out how!

If anyone wants to sponsor a special needs kitty, I have several here that will apply and the best thing is- it will be tax-deductible for you.

I would go out and celebrate, but instead, I made another payment on my vet bill, bought some cat litter and cat food and I am five minutes away from dumping my shoes on the floor and propping my feet up while I watch some mindless movies with hubby.

He had his MRI today and it was rough for him because he had to lie flat. He can’t breathe right if he lies flat.

It was a year long process to wade through the questions and forms from the government and now it is just a waiting game-

Yesterday, a friend of mine presented me with a grooming certificate, so I took Dexter in to get him groomed. Well the girl who did it (at a pet supply company) wasn’t a true groomer and she shaved all the hair off Dexter and called it a “Spring Cut.” Now, he reveals what he is- he is a chihuhaua/yorkie mix.

I brought him back to the truck where his master awaited and when I handed him to Mike- MIke looked at him and told me to go back and get our dog! LOL

He is now being called a Chawarkie and I think Dex is upset with me. The cats are laughing at him now!

My question is who stole our dog?

It has become a source of great amusement here at the house between Mike and I. Both of us have never cared much for the breed itself, finding them yappy and a nuisance but Dexter isn’t like that at all. Since there is snow on the ground, and I have a big pile of XS dog clothes, at least I can offer him some protection when he goes outside now. Whoever thought that I would be dressing up a dog? I only dress up black cats! LOL

We had a snowstorm this morning! We had more snow this second day of Spring then we had all winter! I was out in it, driving Mike to appointments- thank the Lord for 4WD. I counted eight cars in the ditch and five power poles leaning dangerously close to the road. We just now got our power restored, it went off about 7:00 this morning.

Squirrel is healing a bit, she is peeing not pooping. I might give her some metamucil tomorrow to help things along. McKenzie has dried up so we are bottle feeding her babies every few hours. The other black kitty is doing well- whisper has decided that Dexter is her new best friend and life goes on-

I think I got everything caught up- Mike’s MRI is tomorrow and then we wait to hear from the surgeon about the next step. Fingers crossed that it will be good news. More snow in the forecast, thankfully the MRI is later in the day so hopefully by then all the idiots who drive fast on the icy road will either be home or in jail-

My heart hurts to look at this big gaping wound on her hind-end. They have left it open and given her both an antibiotic shot and pain shot to get her through. I have her in the bedroom and the litter pans are full of shredded paper so she won’t get stuff in her wound. Poor kitty- but I covered the bed and she is lying there asleep now-

Just returned from the vet. One of my barn kitties who vanished over a month ago, came home tonight in a terrible state. I rushed her to the vet where they found she has a abscessed anal gland.

She is spending the night, they have flushed out the wounds, trimmed off the dead skin and kept it open to drain. She has been sedated and given an antibiotic shot. I will pick her up in the morning and try and make arrangements on the bill that won’t get me kicked off the planet. LOL

I am just glad she is home and that she is safe. She has lost a lot of weight in her absence but she is eating.

Dexter is now my early morning alarm clock, so I am up early trying to get some articles finished. It is difficult to write when you have a beautiful Siamese boy dancing with your computer screen.

He s growing into such a handsome kitty and he has been placed in four homes but he always get returned for various reasons. Mike says it is because he is a “keeper” so I guess he is right. Fog is certainly bonded with me moreso than the others.

He seems intent on chasing the cursor-heaven only knows what he would do if I installed one of those cat friendly screen savers!

Although it is supposed to be close to Spring right now, there is snow on the ground this morning! Not a lot but enough to drive with care when you are on the road.

I have to laugh, I have Fog blocking my screen- McGee on top of my printer, MK on top of my computer and Tover in my lap! Welcome to my world-