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Not on My Watch: When Fate Steps In...and WTF?! Part 2 of 2

I checked my email late last night. There were lots and lots of pleas for cats in dire need. Cats of all ages. Some were local, some were from good old Henry Co. There was an urgent notice put out that three kittens had been there too long and that by 7am they were slated to be euthanized if a rescue didn't come forward to save their lives.

I looked at the photos and descriptions. Any one of these cats would make a great addition to any family. I asked myself what I could do to help? I don't have any more space in my own home to foster these cats. My dear foster mama in Georgia is also full up. I don't know where I could board the cats and even if I did, I still could not take them here. I looked at the photo, below. It's an “odd-eyed” (one green and one blue) white kitten. She's sitting on a little bed. The pattern on the fabric is whimsical with cute little candy corns on it. For some reason this got to me. I started to cry. This poor little kitty has no idea her life is about to end in a few more hours.

I talked to Sam. I asked him; “Should I tell my readers about this even though there is no time to put in place a rescue or adoption? Or should I just not say anything? There are SO MANY that need help, I can't list them all. No one likes to know about these cats dying when they can't do much to help them. It's so frustrating and painful! And the cccccandy corn bed!!”..then I started crying again.

It's one thing for me to cry, but for this situation, I felt it was better to hope that someone could step in and help them, knowing that help was probably too late to arrive.

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©2010 Henry Co. Care & Control. Odd-Eyed White kitty with a blue and a green eye.

I could not sleep. Not a wink. I was very tired from the stress of seeing my client fall ill and be whisked off in the ambulance a few hours earlier. I kept thinking about the kittens. I just felt sick and angry. I want to go to Georgia and make them pass a law that forces everyone to Spay & Neuter their pets! No, not realistic, but I'm entitled to my wishes, right?

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©2010 Henry Co. Care & Control. Little Flame Point with lovely blue eyes.

I got up at 1AM. I sat on the sofa with one of the cats and had a cup of mint tea to settle my tummy. I tried to feel sleepy, but it didn't work. I didn't want to go near my computer, but I didn't want to wake Sam up by turning on the TV. I got up and walked to my office and turned the computer back on. I poked around and looked at my email, went on Facebook, then...it dawned on me. I knew it was stupid but what the heck?

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©2010 Henry Co. Care & Control. Little Lynxy Point with lovely blue eyes, too. What a charmer!

A few days prior, we had a new visitor on the Covered in Cat Hair Facebook page. She, too, did fostering and rescue right in Georgia! She has a Blog about her foster cats that was really cute. I don't know what prompted me, but I sent her an email entitled; “Silly Question.” It was 2AM. I told her about the kittens and asked if she might know anyone that could help. Realizing it was the 11th hour...

A few MINUTES later, she wrote me back. She just happened to be awake, medicating one of her cats. She wrote me a sweet note and said to send her the info, so I did. I sent her listings on 6 or 7 cats. I waited...

She wrote me back. She cc:d Betsy, our contact at Henry Co. She said to go ahead and pull ID#'s...1, 2, 3...KITTENS! My stomach flipped. My heart skipped a beat...did she just say YES to taking the kittens? Did that mean I was going to foster them here? I HAVE NO SPACE!!!

I quickly wrote her back and told her my concerns. Her kind reply was that, no, she didn't need me to find homes. She could do that locally. She just needed me to get the kittens busted out and have our SUPER BEST FRIEND IN THE WORLD, BOBBY, pick them up and get them to the Vet. She would do the rest!

And so...at 3AM, just FOUR HOURS before these kittens took their last breath, the paperwork for them would be updated to read; “RESCUE HOLD,” but in the language of the shelter means;

BUSTED OUT! SAVED! RESCUED! GETS TO GROW UP AND HAVE A LIFE WITH A LOVING FAMILY AND NEVER BE INSIDE A METAL CAGE AGAIN!

I sent out some emails and did what I needed to do to get things in order. I was feeling pretty wobbly I needed to try to sleep. I set my alarm for 6:45AM to make sure Betsy got my message. I crawled into bed next to Sam. I woke him up. I whispered that I was sorry, but I couldn't wait to tell him something. I tried to keep calm, but I couldn't hold back the tears any more. I started to cry again, as I told him the kittens were saved and he said a sleepy “Oh that's so wonderful!” as he held me tight. I thought about the little kitten and the silly candy corn print cat bed, but this time, as the tears fell down my cheeks, they were not tears of grief-they were tears of joy.

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©2010 Henry Co. Care & Control

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©2010 Henry Co. Care & Control

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©2010 Henry Co. Care & Control

Please thank Kate for stepping up and helping us out. As a "Thank You" to her, I paid her Vet bill. I felt like it was the least I could do. Please also thank, Bobby, for picking up the kitties this afternoon and sitting with them at the Vet's office and for making sure they are safe and loved until they go to foster care.

Comments

Way to go, and I must say that the candy corn bed has a bit of charm to it. I mean you don't see it everyday.

well i think what's happend is amazing and that your amazing and that I soon someday will be able to do rescue work like you are. I have plans to eventually find a place with some space-an acre or so-so i can be properly ready to do animal rescue!! its a huge goal of mine and i wish i could do it right now, but unfortunately things just don't happen that quickly! (right now dealing with being underemployed and trying to keep from loosing my home along with feeding 3 dogs and 9 kitties at hte moment). keep doing what you're doing and.....AMAZING!!

After I read your article, I burst out in tears myself. I'm so terribly glad for these kittens!! Its truly a miracle of note! And also an ispiration to us all. If only we would be responsible and spay and neuter our pets, but also be kind hearted enough to do everything we can to care for those already in this world.

I've been toying with the idea of starting a similar "half-way house" for cats on death row here in South Africa for quite some time now and this story only strengthened my resolve. Thank you for sharing!!

It is so great you have already been able to help so many - you really are a huge inspiration. If I had a bigger place I would love to do this - help kitties who really need it. But right now with 6 permanent residents and one tiny townhouse - not the best idea. But you really make me want to push harder for it!

And on another note I am listing your blog on my Friends on Friday tomorrow, where I talk about a few blogs I follow that I really like. Seriously, how could I not have you on there with everything you do to help kitties who need it!!

For all that you are doing for the kitties!

This post totally made my day! The sweet odd-eyed kitten with her little candy-corn bed touched my heart, also. Thanks to all who helped make this happen.

you are so awesome!!!! This is such a wonderful thing you are doing! bless you and sam!!!

Ummmm, after all this other stuff i am seeing..... are you honest????
i would Love to adopt Jude, I know my hubby would not say no, and my family would tell you how we would take care of him, but I am curious about this page......if you want a home truly for Jude where he would be loved and taken care of it is us......otherwise, i am not sure of your page......

I'm not sure what you mean about if I am being honest or not? What is it that you find questionable?

If you review my older posts, you can see that I'm VERY honest. I talk about rescues, then I have photos of many of the rescued cats as they come here to be fostered and find homes or follow up photos of them as they go to their new home.

Frankly, I'm a bit offended that you would even suggest this.

As for Jude, he DOES need a loving home, but it needs to be with a family where EVERY member wants him, not where he gets into a situation where some want him and some don't. He doesn't need to be in a "risky" placement, then face losing that home one day.

I recently adopted the soppiest flame-point cat from a shelter myself, and this just made me cry... I'm of for a snuggle now! Well done!

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