Two kittens will be going back to the vet today as soon as they open and I can make an appointment. One is the runt, a little gray girl and the other is also a gray kitty with all these bumps all over her. I was looking at those bumps last night and there are little white blisters all over her, which I think is fire ants. If these kittens came from out of the mountain pass it is feasible that they are fire ant bites. These two kittens are barely eating the other three are now eating on their own, God Bless their little paws. I’ll probably take all of them with me so the vet can see them better. It was a rushed visit yesterday and they were such a mess.Now they have had several baths, been safely de-wormed and de-flead and had a bit of food that they can handle. The bigger black boy got scared during his bath yesterday and grabbed my thumb and bit down hard. Alligator needle teeth! OUCH! Mike said I should call him Nipper!

They were so hungry when they first arrived here that one was eating the cat litter, so I dumped the clay litter and put dried beans in the litter box instead.

1:13 update- the kittens are exhibiting signs of toxic shock syndrome (tremors and small seizures) I was afraid it might be distemper but the vet said it isn’t pronounced enough and he thinks with good food, hydration and TLC they will pull through this trauma- I hope he is right.

I decided to call the little girl Heidi because she likes to hide. The little gray boy is yet unnamed none of the other kittens are named yet either. I am waiting to see if they actually survive. The bumps turned out to be from the fleas. When I was giving her a bath yesterday she was covered with them (because she is the smallest and weakest) even getting her wet, they were clinging to their kitty buffet and it took quite alot to get them off her. I deflead them even though they had been exposed to toxins because what the fleas do to kittens is far worse then putting a bit of chemical on them.

This morning after I ran Mike to the doctors we were coming home and going through the edge of town- I saw two young girls jumping up and down with a sign free kittens. Mike looked at me, I pulled over and went to see these “free kittens.” Walking up the box, I noticed it was sealed and I asked the girl how old these kittens are? 8 weeks she said- and two just ran away across the road so we sealed the box again.

I opened the box and was hit with a noxious smell and saw 5 kittens who were NOT 8 weeks old more like 5 weeks old. They were lying on a towel and they did not even move. I could see the fleas moving about them, they were in horrible shape.

I found out when I stuck my head further in the box that they had layered flea powder in the bottom of the box and put the kittens right on top of it! The grey and black kittens were dusted with the powder, their eyes were stopped up and their nose running.

I told the girls I would take them all and they are here now. I have given them a bath and fed them the proper food (had to assist feed they are to weak).

Please if you can donate any monies right now, this litter needs it. The vet is not sure they will even pull through and they are so tiny and defenseless. If you can find it in your heart to help me help them, I plead with you to do that for them. They are a victim of ignorance and sadly when I asked what flea powder they used it was Hartz’s flea powder. 🙁

Oh and they gave me food to go with the kittens, cut up hot dogs and cow’s milk- 🙁

Thank you for caring

Today Mr. Ash went to a new home. He has a large farm to roam on as soon as he gets used to his new life. It borders the start of the forest and there are other barn cats there who he will hang around with. I find it interesting that during kitten season people are contacting me wanting older cats. It is quite refreshing-

Right now, he is being kept in a shed with plenty of space to roam, food and water and litter pans. I suspect in a week or two he will be fully acclimated and make this farm his territory.

Took Brandi on the Cascade Trail for a walk this morning. As we were passing a thick patch of blackberries her nose went straight up and she started circling. I know this sign, but we were in the middle of nowhere. Literally, no one around as far as the eye can see, no homes, no campsites, just trees and wilderness.

I let her off the lead and told her gently to find the kitty. She made a beeline for the blackberry bushes but she couldn’t get in, they were to thick. I picked up a branch and started parting the berries. I saw a small box on the ground and so did B-dog- she dove for it and pushed it over to me. I lifted the lid to find two kittens inside! One black, one gray. Brandi was whining, so I put her in a down command and picked up the black kitten. He wasn’t here anymore. Then I picked up the gray kitten, who squirmed weakly, but she was alive! I gave her to B- who gently gave her a bath.I put some water into the mouth and the kitten swallowed weakly. We raced home.

Gave her fluids, got rid of the fleas and gave her some Karo syrup and coffee sugared with KMR. Then we went to the vet-she was dewormed and examined and sent home. I gave her a bath and then gave her to Mike to snuggle with.

Here she is looking much better than when I found her. She is a bit unsteady on her feet- but a cute little bug. I am calling her Fern.

God Bless this Dog who has fallen into our care- I did not train her to find these lost creatures- she finds them all on her own,

This German Shepherd is amazing. I have taken her for six outside the property walks and she has “found” three cats on these walks (all of them ill). I have learned by watching her when she is on the scent of a cat. Her nose shoots straight in the air and then she circles three times and whines. Nosing the area where th cat is at, she paws at the ground and looks at me as if “Please Mom pay attention!”

My neighbor came over today and her calico cat got out a few days ago. She wanted to see if mayber her cat Lucy found her way to my crew. I told her about Brandi and her cat nose and she was skeptical, but she wants her cat back.

I took Brandi over there on a long line and asked her to “find the kitty.” They have six acres of blackberries and grape arbors. 20 minutes later, Brandi alerts to a patch of blackberries near the fence and a calico kitty shoots out, running straight for the house!

I tell you what- she constantly surprises me with all she can do.

A little girl who will turn 13 tomorrow will find to her surprise her parents have given her a loving black cat for her birthday.

Vaughn went to a new home today and right now he is in the parent’s bedroom waiting for the big surprise in the morning when the girl returns from an overnight trip to find him in HER bedroom.

When I took him over to meet part of the family, he showed no fear of his new surroundings and settled down underneath the drapes near the air conditioner! Smart kitty it is 103 degrees today!

I was impressed with his new home, there are no other animals (except a gerbil) and no expectations of getting any more animals in the future. He went over in the carrier without a hitch and I will check in on him in a few days. I hope that Melinda will be as thrilled with him as her parents are and I wish him a long, happy life with this little girl.

It’s clear to me that these two will have to go to the same home together. They are never apart. Knowing they are brother/sister and should be asserting themselves and striking out on their own in the group, leaves me to wonder what sort of trauma has bound them so close together.

I am working on the CATS Inc., facebook page on and off. Hoping that someone close enough might see one of these cats or kittens and be moved enough to adopt one or two. If they want two, I know just the pair!

I carefully pick him up and he tenses and tucks deep into my arms. His trust meter is broken, this “once” feral kitty no longer trusts that I am out for his best interest. In the past few days he has been poked, prodded, stuck, squeezed, pricked, isolated and confused. His coat is greasy and lies flat against his skin. He is eating but barely- rather than put him upstairs in isolation, we opted to rebuild the cage inside the enclosure so he could be where he would be the most comfortable.
His mom, Dash was lying next to the cage this morning when I came to check on him.

He tucks deeper into my arms and trembles as if to say “What next?” Next consists of crushed baytril mixed with mackeral oil. I hold my breath as the syringe slides into his mouth. He laps it greedily- success! Thankfully he only gets pilled once a day. I just didn’t think popping a pill down his throat would lend well to the trust factor.

I pet him and tell him how wonderful he is and that he will beat this thing. He looks up at me, his green eyes wide and bright, no longer clouded with mucous and drainage- it may take some time, but Chappy is on his way back to us now.