Although Cyclone is doing better and putting on a bit of weight, he is still so depleted. When he gets sub-cu fluids they are instantly sucked into his body, no bubble remains on his skin at all. he is getting about 200 ml per day.

Here he is at Day 5. He appears to want to talk to me when I come into the enclosure and will raise his paw and look at me as if to say “Mom, are you sure you are paying attention to me?” I pat him reassuringly and tell him- “Yes Cyclone, I am and you truly matter!”

I am going to take him in tonight and have blood drawn. He is filling up three litter pans daily with urine, so suspect either diabetes, thyroid issues, IBD. Other possibilities lymphoma, kidney disease or?

My day is spent in prayer for all those caught in the monster storm both two-legged and four-legged. The devastation shatters my heart and brings me to my knees.

Please stay safe all of you- hug the ones who matter most.

Apologies for not posting sooner about the kittens and their condition. Putting them on the antibiotic has shown me that they didn’t have a cold or URI but it what they do have is viral and bacterial in nature. The introduction of the arithromycin has changed the discharge from clear to cloudy so they are blowing out infection now. The vaporizers are still going full steam ahead and at least the kittens are still eating and drinking on their own.

When I went to pick up the drugs for them, I went to a small pharmacy that I have never been to before. It is about a block from the clinic and the only pharmacy in town that carries this one drug.

As I pulled up to the window, I had the Toad and Rayne in carriers on the front seat. They had just been neutered. The lady saw the kittens and we started talking cats. She told me they had a small black kitten (girl) show up at the pharmacy and she took her home. Said she was really skinny and awfully hungry. I asked her about how old the kitten was and she said a few months. This got me to thinking about where I found the poisoned babies (about a block away from the pharmacy). The people had told me when I took the initial litter that one black kitten, a girl had escaped. Both Brandy and I went and looked for it and Brandy alerted to a tree in the middle of an apartment complex. But the kitten was gone.

I told the gal the story about the poisoned litter and said i suspected the little black gal was part of that litter. I had been by the place several times since looking for her, but we could never find her. So it makes me go “hmmm..” Perhaps God was telling me that the girl kitty is now safe and loved in a forever home, I don’t know. But she is the same age as the kittens in the bedroom and has the same medium long hair.

I would rather think that the Lord had kept her safe instead of worrying of her outside in such inclement weather and he was letting me know I no longer have to worry about her.

A local rescuer who has been rescuing for more years than I can remember is closing up shop. She called me with an offer, she has 6 leftover for this year, spay and neuter certificates for $20.00 apiece if I want them. I do- but Cyclone and the kittens have stretched my budget out of wack and I can’t get them now. Her husband is extremely ill and they are moving, so it is a short-term offer. I am hoping someone reading this might wish to help me. I have the four hartz kitties to get done by the end of the year.

Thanks for any help

Early this morning, I took B on her customary walk through our pasture and woods. As we came up over the hill, below us I spied a flock of wild turkeys. There were over a dozen busy pecking the bugs out of the soil before the next soaker came in to chase them back to their nests.

I called out to them and invited them all to our table, but they just fluffed their feathers and ignored me. B-dog being a herding dog, took off in a lope toward them to round them up to comply with my wishes- but they saw her coming and flew off into the trees.

I thanked B for her willingness to provide turkey dinner for the entire town, and she licked my hand as if to say “Sorry Mom, they were to far away!” LOL

As we finished our walk, the turkeys gobbled a scolding at me. How dare I interupt their breakfast!

I love our land, it grants such peace when things get hectic. We have beavers in our creek, turkeys, squirrels, possums, coons, foxes and skunks that come out of our woods. We have bats in our rafters and tall trees to sit under and find our center again.

Today, both Rayne and Toad have gone for their neuters. I am thrilled to say that I am not the only one who has fallen deep for Rayne. She is a petite mackeral tabby and her favorite spot to sleep is right under my chin. My girlfriend Patty has also flipped for her and decided to adopt her after her daughter moves out in a few weeks. Rayne couldn’t have a better home!

Yesterday at the bone surgeon’s office, he was ecstatic over the improvement of Mike’s leg and told me I missed my calling! LOL He had expressed some misgivings earlier on when I told him I wanted to yank Mike out of wound care, because I didn’t see them helping out Mike’s leg. But he said he would respect my wishes unless something went wrong. Well that was over a month ago and for the FIRST time since the April surgery, Mike’s incision is completely healed! I told him that it wasn’t me- it was God working and he got this wonderful smile to his face and agreed. During the initial surgery, his associate came out to get my permission for more extensive work on the leg and before I signed it- he took my hands in the middle of the ER and we prayed together. Dr. Lin is a surgeon who does not dismiss the presence of God.

On the Cyclone front- he is looking better than yesterday. His eyes aren’t gooky anymore. I need to go and pick up his prescription today- it’s a spendy antibiotic that the clinic doesn’t routinely stock. It had to be ordered and they put a rush on it and it will be here later today.

We are supposed to have a huge storm coming down on us- but my heart is with those on the east coast facing the wrath of Sandy. Be safe all of you and keep your kitties safe and snug. I often wondered what I would do if such severe weather hit here. We had a straight line wind about 7 years ago that killed two cats in the barn. Trees were down all over our property and it took me 6 months to clean up the place. It was an incredible show of power on Mother Nature’s part. We had no warning it was going to hit and as I drove home from town, the wind was whipping. I was on the highway and sheep were rolling across the lanes! I saw this large, round disc flying high in the distance and at first I thought I was hallucinating because it looked like a flying saucer! It flew low over the truck (I ducked) LOL but realized as I saw it closer, it was someone’s trampoline that had gone airborne!
I can’t imagine what it would be like to be in the middle of a hurricane or tornado, but I got a small taste way back when.

Well, time to go clean litter boxes- any volunteers?

In June of 2003 a rather large and cheeky tomcat sauntered into our backyard and proceeded to hose down thoroughly several plastic garbage bags of soda cans. I watched him do this (my he was such a handsome boy!) I informed him his spraying time was soon to be nipped in the bud. Two days later, he was trapped and neutered.

I brought him home with a slew of medications for him and took him upstairs. Thankfully, I prepared the room way ahead of time. I let him out of the trap and he raced out and started bouncing off the tables and counters, the walls. He began to climb up to the ceiling and was running laps over my head!

He climbed down the trellis I had over the window and started clawing wildly at the trellis, but it was screwed down firmly in place. He was panting so heavily and so out of control, I was afraid he would stroke out on me. We have a large wire door in front of the quarantine room, and I stepped beyond it, clearing out of the room so he would calm down.

A few hours later, I returned to the room, and he was squashed into a corner. Getting down on my knees, I approached him slowly and his sides were heaving and he was watchful and wary. I stopped right in front of him, and slowly with great care, I reached out and was able to touch the top of his head! I pushed this contact with him for two reasons. One, he is really ill, and two he is wounded. I needed to get medication and water into him quickly.

It took about 3 hours before I was able to scruff him without incident and I syringed water and medication into him, and it all ran out of his mouth. I knew he was in serious trouble then. When I backed off a bit, he once again went ballistic, and ran up the walls and over the top of the wall over the window, clawing madly looking for escape. It broke my heart, he is an old fellow with the scars of the street vividly upon him. His eyes were running yellow drops of pus and again, he was in dire straights.

I went downstairs to call the vet, and we had a conference. He said he would do a farm call first thing in the morning and come out and take blood and run it for me. We both knew that a trip to the vet’s office would kill this poor cat. I hung up and then went upstairs to see him, and discovered, that he finally managed to claw his way through the trellis and he pried open the screen, leaped to the roof then to the ground and was nowhere to be found.

He did come back about a week later, looking so much worse than before. He had been in a fight and his leg was leaking a nasty abcess. He was so dibilitated that I was able to just reach over as he was gobbling his food, scruff his neck and put him in a carrier. I took him upstairs yet again. We had reinforced the trellis over the window. This time, there would be no escape.

It took him a few days to settle and we had him for about 4 months. When my granddaughters came to visit, they were both able to dress him up in doll clothes! He was not amused!

He got out a few weeks later and vanished, only to reappear about 6 months down the line. He came in to eat for a few days and he vanished again. I never saw him after that so I assumed he had either moved on or, being an outside kitty, something had happened to him.

Tonight when I was at the feeder, I saw him again! Once more, he has been in a battle and is so beat up. His eyes are gooky, he is skinny as a pencil. I ran inside to get some canned food talking to God the whole time…”God, can I get him again? Can I scruff him and carry him inside and get him safe and out of this weather?”

I felt, I might be able to do this miracle so while he was eating, I was petting him and asking him if he remembered me. I scruffed him, he did not struggle! I grasped his hind legs to make escape impossible and hustled him into the house. I felt every bone of his body against my chest and I wept for his condition. There was no cat inside the porch enclosure (another miracle) and so I put him inside. Money is tight- but I will call the vet in the morning and get him in to be seen.

I can’t believe, he is here. I honestly thought I would never see him again.

Here he is a few weeks after his neuter from 2003.

And here he is tonight:

Ok here is the skinny (pun intended). Cyclone tested negative for all the nasties. (TYG) After a thorough exam it has been determined that Cyclone is extremely malnourished. Even his eyes have been depleted of the fat cells and they are sunken back into his head. He was also so flea-ridden last night that even with the flea treatment I gave him, he still had fleas all over him, so he was flea-treated again. He was dewormed with a broad dewormer as I had de-wormed him last night for tapes.

He is on Recovery for food and we are waiting a few days to see if the antibiotic will kick in and we start seeing a positive change in this lovely boy. He really is lovely- he just may not look like it right now. The anemia has the vet a bit alarmed- but I have supplements he will get. I also have some powdered deer velvet here that I will start giving him to bump up his immune system.

He was a perfect gentleman at the vet’s office.

The kittens were put on 5 mg. of doxy and some vitamin supplements as well as an immune booster. They are now free of the discharge from their eyes, however, they are still snuffling and sneezing but not as much. I was informed of an OTC cold medicine I can give- so they are being given just slivers of this pill.

They are all running around the room normally, eating and drinking and I am so grateful.

I also pumped up the volume on the vaporizers for the last few nights- pouring the salt into the water and steaming the room to the point it resembled a sauna. This has helped immensely and I am grateful.

I am grateful for those of you who read my blog. You who stop and send your prayers, or send your thoughts either in private, or in public. Please know, I am grateful.

I am grateful that my words have made a difference, impacted many to become proactive in rescuing in their corner of the world.

I am grateful for the monies that were donated all year- whether it was $1.00 or $10.00 or more, each dollar was prayed over and used to help improve the lives of the cats who come here.

I am grateful that God has led me down this path of rescue for it has strengthened my faith, allowed me to see miracles, answered prayers and tested my love for my fellow man. I have been humbled, overwhelmed, exhausted and sad, thrilled, hopeful, prayerful and steadfast and through it all felt the unconditional love these cats are so willing to give and learned so many lessons from each of them…and each of you.

I am grateful…

Whatever age you are… it doesn’t matter, or as American teens would say, “Meh!”

Whatever your friends might think…it doesn’t matter (“Meh”) buy this book!

Whatever you are doing in your spare time, you should make this book a priority to read.

Part of the Faith Girlz Series- Whatever takes a sincere look at teenage angst and addresses it with humor sprinkled with scriptures.

Seeking to educate without overwhelming, topics include: BFF, worthless entertainment, being popular, making the right decisions and respecting yourself and others (just to name a few).

EZ to read, I bombed through it in an hour as I found it a fascinating glimpse into a modern teen’s life (after I read it I found myself thanking God I wasn’t a teenager today!) Whatever is segmented into a 90-Day Devotional with plenty of “food for thought.”

Returns the reader to WHAT does matter: basic Bible principles, courtesy to others, thinking clear thoughts and aiming our hearts toward God.

Calling teens to action, to stand before God in prayer, to accept their life and learn how to make it better- Whatever is a clear guidepost toward a life full of God’s love.

Contrary to popular belief, I don’t always just read cat books to the point that cat litter pours out of my ears! Occasionally, I read other books for educational, inspirational or entertainment value. I am glad this book crossed my path recently. Whatever hits on all points. In other words Whatever matters.

Whatever

Please put; Scuba, Solo, Scully, Sinbad and Braveheart on your prayer list. They have a really bad sinus infection that is not responding to known antibiotics (yet) I know that partly to blame is the early poisoning and then the exposure to the distemper. I want these kitties to live- two aren’t eating and all of them are draining so much out of their cavities that it makes me sad. Giving supportive fluids and assist feeding the boys.

MK is a beautiful, black kitty, long-haired with one spot of white on his back paw. He is about 5 years old and he showed up one night during a major storm. I had opened the door to let the dogs in, and he walked in right behind them as if he owned the joint!

Because I have so many black cats here, it didn’t dawn on me for a few minutes that he was “new.” When I finally realized he wasn’t part of the group, I went over to him slowly and he turned and ran into the kitchen, vanishing down the tunnels.

He mostly hangs out in the cat enclousure, but about a week ago, I found him in the house. Knowing this wasn’t part of his routine, I feared he was ill.

I sleep on the couch so I can be near Mike if he gets into trouble, and in the night and early wee hours of the morning- the floor below is littered with cats. In the dark, I reach out and am able to pet and stroke Dash, Chappy, Scottie and a few others who don’t venture from the cat enclosure often. The minute I stand up they scatter, but if I lie there and talk to them and leave the light off, they stay. MK added himself to this pile.

As I was petting him a few nights ago, I realized the back of his rear was getting matted. Mats are no joke, and I knew I had to clip him to get him better.

Our bathroom is a water closet. Those of you who have no clue what a water closet is, count yourself lucky, but our home is ancient and in our bathroom there are not even outlets to plug my clippers in so this would take planning.

I ran an extension cord from the pantry to the bathroom, stowed the clippers in the bathroom and put my grooming basket behind the loo. Like I said, our bathroom is tiny.

Last night, while I was petting MK, I took a deep breath and scooped him up. I was wearing my robe as I knew I was going to do this and didn’t want to get scratched. He didn’t resist- just screamed to the heavens and I took him in the bathroom and proceeded to clip all those nasty mats off him.

To his credit, he did really good. There’s not very many places he can escape to and I ended up putting towels in the sink and placing him on top of the towels. He seemed to know I was helping him and he allowed me to take the mats off him before he started getting really antsy.

I let him out to escape into the house and I hope he will visit me tonight, but I am doubtful he will. He’s such a beautiful kitty but definitely skittish.

Rayne is doing so much better, she is on the downward spiral of the URI. Pippi is coming into the house more often . I think she knows that this is her forever home now.
She has joined the pile of kitties that I encounter in the wee hours of the morning and pushes to the head of the pile to head butt me hard!