Unless this beautiful girl stays on a special food, she gets leaky stool and it is so sad. They have thrown everything they can think of on her to stop this from happening and I have been reduced to putting her in the special enclosure which gives her access to the outside. Not a good thing for a young kitten. It is either that or live in a cage for the rest of her life.

So I put a specially worded ad out about her and I hope to find someone who is catless, who has the patience to keep her on the low-residue diet (which is sadly prohibitively expensive or I would put ALL the cats on it) and who is willing to wait this out until her system develops more and she can thrive like a normal kitty.

Wish us luck- I even emailed Best Friends in Kanub Utah in the hopes that they might take her and be able to either cure her forever or find her a loving home

Ms Glory Bee is a bed hog! It’s a king size bed, a california king at that, but everywhere I wanted to lie down, so did she. Not by my side but on my legs, my stomach, my chest, my neck! I have finally given in and come out here to try and sleep on the couch but haven’t the heart to move ten cats already claiming it. Maybe I should just surrender and sleep on the floor? LOL

Glory is a far cry from the semi-feral cat who first arrived here earlier in the year. Mike said she is just grateful to be off that cold porch- although he did sacrifice his electric blanket for her to lie on so she wasn’t entirely cold at night.

So now it is Christmas and the kitties are all inside and clustered around the heaters for warmth. 18 degrees at the moment. Thanks to Santa’s Elves, there were 5 more snuggle discs sent our way and so the outside kitties also have heat sources to turn to. The kitties cleaned up this year with so many goodies- I thank all who visited the wish list and put this sanctuary back to where it was before distemper hit us.
We had lost not only so many kittens, but also cat beds, toys, condos litter pans. It was a turbulent year but there were rewards along the way with many kittens and a few seniors finding loving, forever homes. That’s what it is all about- putting them in safe hands and not having to worry about them again.

So many came through our doors and some were only here for a brief time before passing to the Bridge but they left many lessons behind and oh they were so loved: Others have gone on to fill emptiness in people’s lives and bring laughter and love to a home. No house is a home without a cat.

We had Cotton and Ember the two inbred minature Persians who went on to make two families so happy.

Adopted out this year were: Secret, Miss Hiss,Sinclair, Braveheart, Scully,Maggie May, Kira, Muggles, Katella,Rayne, Pearl, Grayson, Tover, Cooper, Jackson,Serena,Napoleon,Autumn, Promise, Serendipity,Bristol, Bootsy,Sahara, Fawn,Truman (who is now living large in Hawaii!) Sheba, Solo, Ashes,Kirby Flanigan,Jazzy,Star,McKenna, Toad, Willow, Bright Eyes,Sahara, Calico, Karma and last but certainly not least Agatha.

Returned back to the sanctuary: Jordan, Salem and Jazzy. Jazz was re-adopted and doing fine.

Bridge babies- God knows their names now and they will all stay on my heart for a very long time.

It’s been a long year, a trying year one of a lot of tears and frustrations but that is part of the package of rescuing. I’m certainly glad ALL of you were along for the ride, because I couldn’t have done it without you-

God Bless You ALL

M.A.

Agatha, the rescue from Portland, the dilute calico with the mystery tail now has her own home! The home was small which was to her liking although the first place she decided to hide was under their Christmas tree! Then, she decided under the sectional sofa was a much better option but before she dove under, she made the rounds met the mom, the dad and the 8 year old boy.

For the time I was there, I was encouraged because I kept checking her whereabouts. At first, she was squished in the corner, but as the minutes went by and I shone my flashlight under the sofa, she was inching closer and closer to the front and ready to come out of hiding. I suspect in two days she will be sharing their bed and purring them to sleep. YAY! Now, I can take Glory off the cold porch and put her in the bedroom-

4:19 p.m. Just received a call from Kristie, Agatha’s new owner. Two hours after I left, Aggie came out from under the couch, jumped on Tyler’s lap, head-bumped him several times and has been out ever since! She is eating and Kristie told me I was right- Agatha’s purrs fill the room. I loved getting that phone call. Fitting end to a turbulent beginning for this wonderful cat.

Typically, I do not adopt out cats or kittens after Dec 12th. Experience has shown me that Christmas “spontaneous” adoptions rarely work. but this woman who called me earlier sounded quite distraught. She has recently lost her 15 year old to cancer and she said she can’t bear the thought of another day without a cat or a kitten in her life.

We talked extensively and she is partial to either white kitties, black kitties, siamese kitties, gold kitties. So I am taking in the morning to her home four potential adoptions: Jordan (2 year old Siamese mix) Sophia (one of the distemper survivors) Agatha (the four year old Calico with a strange tail) and Roscoe the rambunctious one.

This is not a case of 6 year old Sarah wanting a kitty for Christmas. This is an older woman who adores cats and has found herself catless and unable to bear it. If all goes well- one of mine will find their furrever home tomorow.

Wish me luck- we are off to the adoption!

She comes sashaying out of the darkness and headbumps my ankles. Her mews now are quieter as her trust deepens with each day. I made the mistake of picking her up a few weeks ago and she vanished for five days putting me in a bit of a panic. I wanted to bring her inside and perhaps she felt my intentions even before I moved, because she scrambled from my arms and fell to the ground below. I worried when she didn’t show up that she had injured herself- but she is fine. (TYG)

She stays by my side as I dish out the food. I explain to her that in warmer weather (47 degrees!) The wet food goes on hold until the cold comes soaring in. I don’t think she appreciates this tactic, but it is one I hold to. They eat dry all day- and wet food only when it gets really cold, for that is how they stay warmer. Plus, my supply is finally dwindling.

I received a wonderful donation of dry food the other day, the only problem is some of the food is not one which even my outdoor cats will touch. If I put it outside, the only animals who eat it are the coons, skunks and possums. I know of an elderly woman who feeds scads of cats so this morning before the sun came up, I drove to her home and left the WalMart brand of cat food on her porch. I hope it brought her a smile when she saw 7 bags of Special Kitty waiting for her.

Mike and I are spending a quiet Christmas at home with the animals. The other day in the store, I won a free Christmas tree. I laughed when they announced over the loudspeaker that I had won this and told them with 23 cats, Christmas trees are not in the program. Instead, I re-gifted it to a family who were shopping that day and didn’t have a tree. If we put up a tree, it would be devoid of ornaments and lights because the kitties would be in the tree, on the tree, toppling the tree, spilling the water, drinking the water, eating the presents-been there and done that- no thank you! LOL

I wish all of you a beautiful, loving and peaceful Christmas full of purrs and good wishes. May 2014 be kinder to us all!

This is the type of environment that Patience, Stalker, Funny Face and Mrs. Claus were asked to live in:

Former Home

Yesterday, some Yahoo (I am being nice here insert your own label) dangled a 4 month old kitten out of the window of his speeding SUV and dropped the little one on the road!

Thankfully, a couple behind the man, stopped their car and instead of pursuing the jerk- they opted to rush the kitten to a local vet.

“Edmund” has a broken femur (lucky kitty) and is shaken but not stirred although it is likely emotional issues are brewing once he gets his health back.

Tis the season to be Loving, and Jolly, and Merry and bring Goodwill to all, NOT to dump innocent kittens on a busy freeway!

There is an online fund raiser for the kitty. You can follow the link to learn more

Edmund

Vet believes it might just be a stubborn strain of the calicivirus so she has been put on new meds that will hopefully calm things down. I am also putting her on some OTC allergy meds to try and dry up her sniffles. Just hope it works!

Cagney has been sick now for months! Everything they have tried on her have failed; several types of antibiotics, prebiotic powders, probiotic liquids. She is still sneezing multiple times and I cringe everytime I see her rubbing her nose vigourously with her paw, on the carpet, even on the edge of the wall. I have used L-Lysine with her, velvet deer antler powder, ran vaporizers all over the house and still her eyes water and she sneezes. She has done this ever since she has arrived here and her nose is just raw and sore. Poor kitty. I am taking her back one LAST time and hoping something else can be tried to give her relief. I’ve tried benedryl with her as well nothing is working. She must be highly allergic to something around here and those allergy tests are so brutal, long and expensive to perform on cats! I even put her in a room with litter pans with no litter in them thinking that she might be allergic to the dust, and still she sneezes. I feel so sorry for her. I hope to come up with a better alternative today-

Kitties are cleaning up this year! The elves just sent them puzzle boxes, cat posts, food, toys, a cat hammock and more trac balls. They are in heaven (and for the first time all year I mean that in a good way!) They already figured out how to disengage the toys from the pegs on the bunkbed and the play room and the toys quickly vanished inside the wooden puzzle box. I have angry birds all over the house with the kitties stalking these balls as if they really are birds of prey.

Roscoe went inside after the disappearing flutterby and challenged me to dare to stick my hand in and put it back on the peg!I declined the challenge!

Mike went back to his wound care specialist today and I am pleased to report that his legs aren’t as swollen or as “colorful” as before AND he has lost three pounds! He isn’t keen on his new eating program, but I told him if he doesn’t stick with it- I won’t be sticking around and watching him die.

Is that cruel? Probably, but it needed to be said. I love him to much to see him fail at life now. I think it stunned him, but he could tell I was serious…deadly serious.

Mike has suffered some setbacks in his legs and now we face some serious issues regarding his health. I kept telling his doctor (a GP) that something was wrong with Mike’s legs. I wrap them daily with soft gauze and ace bandages, but every time I sent him to the Dr he just looked at me like I was nuts and try to patiently explain to me: “Mrs. Miller, this is how some diabetic’s legs look.”

So a few days ago when I unwrapped my husband’s legs so he could take a shower, I was met with an awful stench and to my dismay necrotic tissue. I rushed him back to the same Dr. and this time, the Dr. paid attention. He sent us immediately to a surgeon who sent us to a wound care specialist and here is the gist of the issue.

Mike’s legs are a mess. Because of his weight and lack of circulation to his legs, his legs swell horribly, the leak and they bleed and they smell. As they swell, the ace bandages will cut into his skin (which is the equivalent now of tracing paper) and cause wounds. Sometimes, I will end up with the velcro on the back of his legs, so once again there is pressure sores forming and wounds. If there are any wrinkles in the ace bandages then again, we have cuts in his skin and wounds forming. It’s all pretty nasty and very scary.

So after three visits with three different doctors, this is the bottom line. Mike has been challenged to lose a pound a day. IF he does not lose this weight, he will lose either one leg or the possibility of both legs or even his life. Talk about scary. The new specialist (who I love) is older, he is very nice but very direct and he got tough with Mike. After he explained about the ace bandages cutting the legs, I started to cry and excused myself from the room. He followed me out and asked me why I was crying? I told him I didn’t mean to cause my husband this pain and trauma to his legs. He leaned in really close to me, put his hands gently on my shoulders and said: “Mrs. Miller, YOU did not cause this. The problem that exists is entirely your husband’s fault. His life choices he’s made up to this point, you are bearing the consequences. Do not put this on your shoulders. All you can do is your best. No one can change another individual. Then he walked back into the room.

Mike will now be going to wound care four times a week which I am so relieved about as I don’t want to continue to care for such damaged legs. I did tell the surgeon that I wish the GP had listened to me months ago, and the Dr. rolled his eyes and said he wished that as well.

I hope this turns out to be the catalyst that will put Mike on the slow road to health. Nothing so far has seemed to make a difference, nothing I’ve said or done seems to sink in to him. I guess as time passes we will find out if Mike can beat this and at least save his legs if not his life. Now, I need to write a very difficult email to Mike’s kids and let them know what is going on without ruining their holiday-