One I Hold in High Regard

Our dear Foster mom, Maria has some tough times a few months ago when her cat, Choco, went into Keatoacidosis from undiagnosed diabetes. We did a fundraiser to help Maria with the costs and Diabetic Cats in Need also came to Choco's rescue. Our own, Jennifer J., who is a DCIN Volunteer and Kitten Associates Board Member, has been guiding Maria in proper care and nutrition, along with the folks at the Felinediabetes.com message board, to get Choco turned around.

Choco is "OTJ" or Off the Juice-meaning he no longer needs insulin and is considered in "remission" of his diabetes. How did this miracle happen? He's OFF GRAIN in his food. Yeah. Simple as that..that and carefully administered insulin until Choco's metabolism had time to adjust to the new diet. If ever there was a strong argument to get your cats off GRAIN (corn, wheat, rice, oats), then this is definitely one of them.

I'm very proud of Maria for her awesome devotion to Choco and thrilled there are excellent organizations, such as DCIN, who will jump in to help owners keep their diabetic cats by offering support and advice when times get tough.

Enjoy this great video about Choco and his other "OTJ" buddies!

This is Bobbi (image below) a few weeks after we rescued her. She was badly flea infested and severely underweight from being kicked out by her owner and left to fend for herself. A few hours after I posted about her, I got in a third photo (see bottom image). I couldn't help but compare it to one I shot last year.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Bobbi shortly after she arrived in Connecticut after being rescued from a Kill Shelter in Georgia.

Her new family, the Murdoch's, definitely know how to turn that “MEH” into “MEOW!.” It's hard to believe that this is the SAME cat. The only thing that changed for her was now she gets a great diet, good Veterinary care and lots and lots of love.

©2011 The Murdoch Family. What a face!

Is it just me, or is there a glimmer of joy in her eyes that wasn't there before? I can't believe the transformation! Is Bobbi part Maine Coon? Maybe part Norwegian Forest Cat?

Bobbi, you're a dream come true. I'm SO HAPPY for you and your new family! Thank you Murdoch family for doing right by this sweet girl. I wish we had a thousand adopters just like you!

I finally have some good news to report. After the past few hellish weeks, out of the blue, today I got TWO updates on some of our former foster kitties! The news did my heart good and I hope it does the same for you.

Bobbi

Bobbi was rescued from Henry County Care & Control last summer. She was thin, covered in fleas and her skin was full of sores. To make matters worse, Bobbi was declawed! She had NO WAY to even scratch herself---and she was NOT EVEN SPAYED. I wrote a very "blue" rant about this which you can read about here if you're not offended by swearing. There's a more genteel post about her HERE, if you'd like to know more about this little girl's journey.

©2010 Henry Co. Care & Control. Bobbi at the shelter. Just looking at her, I knew I had to rescue this little sweetheart.

Apparently, Bobbi has settled in well with her new family. She's their only cat and is pampered and loved to her heart's content.

©2010 Maria. S. Bobbi out of the shelter and into foster care. She's thin and her coat is terrible. She was almost starved to death.

Bobbi's coat has surprised everyone. We thought she had Maine Coon in her, but her coat was shaggy and sort. Today it's plush and full. Her family tell us:

“We just love, love, love her. She is doing well, and has a healthy figure now:-) Her fur/hair is a complete surprise and amazement. I imagine her hair was thin and unhealthy when you first saw her in Ga. And when we adopted her, her hair was silky and medium. Well, I hope the photo I send shows this, but she has about 3 undercoats followed by lots of long hair. Her color is even a little different, more red has come out. She loves to be scratched and we love to give her the attention.

She loves to sleep in the sun, eat, play with a silk cord and jumping into pillows and blankets that I make into a big pile. ”

©2011 The Murdoch Family. What a difference six months makes!

This is why I do what I do. To get these updates and know I did something that changed this cat's life for the better and for the rest of her life. She will never know suffering again-and that's how it should be for every cat and dog in need!

©2011 The Murdoch Family. Life is good for Bobbi now.

Moonpie & Pattycake

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Moonpie (left) and Pattycake (right)

I had Moonpie and Pattycake for a long time—months and months. Patty had ringworm, then Moonie got it. Then I decided they HAD to stay together. I could not adopt them out separately. They were like two peas in a pod. I knew it would be tougher to find them a home, but I hung on and hoped against hope the right family would come along.

They did. In a BIG way!

Moonpie and Patty live in a 5000 sq foot home. At first it was too much for them and they spent a few worried weeks running around the house. They've been with their new family for a few months now and today I found out that they've adjusted beautifully and are very “chill” cats, indeed.

Their pet sitter told me they have not just a cat tree to play on, but they have a “city” of cat towers. Not just in one room, but on each FLOOR of the home! They get the best food, the most love, and are doing wonderfully well.

I miss them dearly, but am so glad they're happy and healthy. It was worth the time spent worrying they'd never find a good home to know they're where they were meant to be all along.

If you'd like to read some of Moonpie and Patty's story, you can read it here and here.

When you take on the responsibility to provide a home for a companion animal, you owe it to that animal to give them a safe, clean, loving place to live for the rest of their life. There is no excuse to do anything less. It's one thing to live in spoiled surroundings, yourself, but it's another to force an innocent creature to do the same.

Home Soiled Home.

That's exactly what some people in McDonough, GA have done. They lived in a perfectly nice home and slowly, but surely, drove it into ruin by their lack of care or concern for anything other than themselves. They didn't care to take out the trash. They couldn't be bothered with putting food away in a cabinet or making the bed. The things we do in our daily life, that we don't even think about, these people couldn't be bothered with. Were drugs involved? It's likely, but I don't know for certain.

They couldn't be bothered with providing their animals with ANY vet care. The cats had litter after litter of kittens. Who knows what happened with the dogs? I can't be compassionate about these people for what they've done to their pets. Frankly, if they want to mess up their lives, that's their path, but to drag their pets into it-that's where I get mad.

You know you're white trash when...

I don't even want to refer to these people as people because clearly they live like animals and that's making animals sound bad. They're disgusting, self-centered, thoughtless. Their animals roam free, not ONE of them is spayed or neutered. Two of the cats are pregnant. Two of the cats, somehow are not, yet.

What would you do if you lived near these people?

The windows are too dirty to photograph through.

One of our own, found out. Our foster mama, Maria lives next to this house. She saw the ruin, the filth. She knew if she called animal control the animals would be put down fairly soon. So, she started a campaign to get these people to do the right thing for their animals. She told them there are low cost Spay/Neuter clinics. There are vouchers to take to any Vet. She offered to get the cats vetted and pay for it! It's not that tough to do right for your pets, but there was one excuse after another as to why it couldn't be done. It was plainly clear that they didn't even understand why taking their cats and dogs to the vet was even necessary.

Maria's blood boiled.

And this is the nicer part of the house.

I spoke to her at great length about what to do. The people were moving. Their current house was foreclosed-no surprise there. They said they would get the cats taken care of after they moved-saying they should have some money by then. Right. I'm sure they were really going to do that. Maria sensed the same “BS.” Maria pushed, asking to, at least, let her get the two that were not pregnant, spayed.

Looks like Christmas got out of hand.

After she thought about the life these cats would face if they stayed with these people, she realized that the only thing she could do was to offer to take the cats and find them a good home-the LAST thing Maria has time or space for, but Maria followed her heart.

Such a contrast. Warm, friendly, yellow walls that are surrounded by garbage.

It's not convenient or easy or cheap to take on two more cats. Maria really struggled, especially because a few of her cats have needed emergency trips to the Vet and it took a big chunk out of her finances. I'm sure she wished these people would step up and do the right thing, but she knew they wouldn't and in fact, just as they were going to move away, they changed the date to a few days earlier, which turned up the heat on Maria. She HAD to act NOW. She couldn't save all their animals which made her feel terrible. She didn't really have the ability to take on these cats, but she did it-she took the cats into her home.

Introducing, Muddles & Cuddles! Which one is which?

Their names are Muddles and Cuddles. One look at them and you'll fall in love. Despite the dreadful living conditions they've been exposed to, they are very affectionate four year old silver tabbies. How these cats managed to not become feral or fearful is a testament to their fortitude. They've suffered for years at the hands of "people" who had no concern for their well being. I doubt they had anything decent to eat and they certainly did not have a litter pan to use or a CLEAN place to sleep.

They were taken from a box of free kittens at a Walmart to live in a dump for the next four years of their life. They deserve far better than this.

They love each other so much!

As with many animals who've faced dire situations, these two siblings are too bonded to separate them. We're looking for a needle in a haystack—someone who would love to adopt BOTH CATS.

Muddles & Cuddles have been completely vetted, are negative/negative for Feline Leukemia and FIV+. There is no adoption fee since this is a private adoption. The cats have been in 2 week quarantine so they can be safely transported out of state. They are located in central Georgia.

Maria tells me they're SO AFFECTIONATE that their tails POOF out when you pet them! How funny is that? They crave attention so if you want to be completely adored by two sweet sisters, then this pair is for you.

She still smiles after all she's suffered. What a great kitty!

We WILL provide transport. What we would ask of you is to fill out a pre-adoption application on Kitten Associates web site and we'll process your application and make arrangements for you to adopt these extraordinary cats.

If you have any questions, contact ME: info@coveredincathair.com

And pretty please, would you be so kind as to SHARE this post with your cat loving friends? We'd love to see these two get a great home soon and we can do that with your help!

When you open your heart, your home and your wallet to a friendly stray cat, you never know how it will go. Some times you get lucky. The cat doesn't need much, just their shots updated. A clean snap test. Deworming and maybe a flea treatment or two. But more often than not, the cats who've been subjected to neglect for all or most of their lives, have more complex issues to treat that require more of a financial investment and longer term care before they can be adopted out.

Last week, our friend Warren Royal, of Royal Bobbles, jumped at the chance to help a cat in need. You may have read about the rescue. If not, you can read the post HERE. Buddy was doing well, but Warren knew he had problem teeth. An older cat with FIV+ is going to have gum issues, which usually end up that some of the teeth need to be removed, as well. Warren stood by Buddy. Whatever he needed, Warren was determine to provide.

Prior to his dental, the Vet ran some blood work. This is common to do since it helps the Vet understand that there may be an underlying problem and that anesthesia could be too risky. She noted that Buddy's kidney function was going to make it difficult to do the dental, but that the teeth were so bad, they HAD to risk it. Needless to say, Warren had a very long, worry-filled day. Did he do the right thing? Would Buddy survive? Would he have been better off euthanizing this cat instead of putting him through all these procedures?

©2011 Warren Royal. Buddy before his procedure.

Warren wrote to me with an update:

“Buddy had a tough day today, but he's resting well now. It turns out that
the teeth were worse than expected. His left and right canines were badly
damaged. There were horrible infections in both, a mass in one, and she had
to remove both of them. There was another tooth on the top that was "iffy"
but she felt that it could be saved so she left it there. She had to remove
a bit of the bone on the canines. Buddy will probably be in a fair amount of
pain after this. He's under some strong sedation (like morphine) and we'll
give him more as needed every 10-12 hours or so.

The poor little thing only has one bottom tooth left in the front, he
apparently lost some others earlier in his life. But he's got his molars
and they look pretty good. And they cleaned the rest of his teeth well so
that will help him a lot. They also gave him a microchip so that when he's
ready for a new home he will be all set.

The whole endeavor was complicated by the kidney tests. There is some
elevation of some of his levels, so they gave him plenty of fluids and kept
his blood pressure up during the surgery. They also didn't put him in all
the way under, to keep him safe during the anesthesia. But they thought he
was comfortable. They will do another blood panel in a few weeks and that
will give us a better indication of the long-term prognosis of his kidneys.

They think he's a bit older than before, after looking at the teeth. She
thinks he may be as old as 10-12.

The kind folks at the veterinary office fell in love with him. They said
that despite all the poking and prodding, he remained so sweet throughout.
He just let them do what they had to do and dealt with it the best he could.

They found roundworms, in addition to the tapeworms that we discovered
yesterday. He's been treated for both. He's on antibiotics, and is going
to get a lot of rest over the next couple of days. We've delayed his intake
at the humane society adoption center for a few days to let him recover a
bit.

We've done everything possible for him at this point, all we can do is to
let him rest and hope that he recovers well and feels better soon. And then
we'll take it from there.”

-----------------------

Clearly, doing rescue is stressful. It's not a fun roller coaster to ride. Though difficult, Warren was undeterred. Sure, he had troublesome thoughts, but we all do. Anyone who deals with a sick cat, their own or a rescue, worries; “Am I doing the right thing?” Sadly, you never know until it's all said and done and by then you can't go back and do it over again.

I believe you have to do the best you can with the information you have. If you have good intentions and have a clear mind, you shouldn't have to look back with regret. Buddy's is a painful journey but not without joy. Buddy is very comfortable and is eating and purring, just as he did before. He's a tough cookie and so is Warren. There's something fated about this relationship. For Buddy, perhaps he needed a Guardian Angel to look out for him on his journey to finding a permanent home and for Warren, each day that passes, helps him realize that all the effort, the ups and downs, to save Buddy was worth it and then some.

P.S. Buddy IS available for ADOPTION! Please contact Warren Royal, wroyal@namefutures.com if you're interested to learn more about this sweet cat.

It's been three weeks since Cara had her first endoscopy. She endured a very difficult recovery, while I tried to survive the every-6-hours-for-two-weeks medication schedule. She fussed and squirmed with every syringe filled with Carafate (aptly named, I think), which is used to treat peptic ulcers; said to bind to the ulcer site and coat it. This would help Cara's badly damaged esophagus to heal if I could get the meds into her.

Cara began to eat more comfortably and gained weight. She also began to grow-FINALLY and her odd looking coat began to fill in. Her chocolate brown fur was due to malnutrition. I was sure of this as I saw it change into a darker, more rich, almost black. She looks like a white mitted “classic” tabby, just like her brother, Chester, only he's orange.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. Cara at the Vet.

Yesterday I took Cara back to be re-evaluated by Dr. K. The Vet hospital was very busy. I met a woman in the waiting room whose cat had stopped eating for two days, was lethargic and vomiting. I asked her what she was feeding her cat. The answer-really cheap dry kibble. I just about fell over. I tried to figure out a way to talk to her about it but when I broached the subject, she cut me off saying; “that's what she's been eating her whole life.” So I guess it makes it good? I wasn't up for another battle. I felt badly for the cat. When I left later that morning, she hadn't found out why her cat was so sick. More tests to be done.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. Toe flavored toes. Yum!

As for Cara, well she's just a ray of sunshine. She purred and climbed on me while we were in the waiting room. She washed her paws and looked around. We waited for a good 30 minutes before Dr. K. came to see us, but I just enjoyed the one-on-one time.

I wish you could have seen what happened next. Dr. K burst into the room. She didn't say hello to me, but walked right over to Cara asking; “How is our girl today?” With that, she scooped Cara up in her arms and DID NOT LET HER GO the entire time we talked. She didn't examine her. She just held her tight and petted her and petted her. Clearly, Dr. K has a crush on our little foster feline.

©2011 Robin A.F. Olson. Cara warming up those big green eyes to use on Dr. K.

We spoke about next steps. She said we didn't have to do the endoscopy, but it would be good to have the information. I reminded her that unless she was going to adopt Cara, that I needed to know if Cara was going to be a special needs adoption and that we really needed to get to the bottom of this. She agreed. Before I could even wave goodbye to Cara, I was sent on my way, wondering if this sweet woman was going to let me take Cara home or if she was going to stick her in her pocket?

A few hours later, Dr. K. called. Cara's distal stricture (say that five times, fast) was still a bit red but about 70-80% healed. The proximal stricture looked very good and well healed, but there was difficulty passing the scope through the area so she decided (on her own and with out getting permission to spend our money!) to do another balloon dilation. Before I could say a word she said she didn't charge us for it!!! It only took a second of her time and it was just a quick tweak of that area. She administered the steroid shots in to the stricture to keep it from reforming. She did all this “because of all the good work we do.”

I'm pretty sure she doesn't know much about my rescue group, Kitten Associates, but I have a good idea that she DOES have a liking for little Cara. Way to go, Cara! You put those big green eyes to work!

Dr. K feels that Cara should recover from this health crisis and not be a special needs adoption As she grows, she should do just fine. I need to give Cara two more weeks of medications-thank goodness it's only once every 12 hours this time. After the two weeks has passed, I call Dr. K to update her and hopefully Cara can be spayed and will be ready to be adopted!

Only time, good food and more yucky medications will get Cara ready for what awaits her-a home with a really great family...Or is it possible that Cara may already be spoken for?

This past January, terrible snowstorms ravaged the southern U.S. Many roads were impassible for at least a week, that was IF anyone could even leave their homes. Undoubtedly many feral and free roaming strays perished from not having shelter and without having access to feeding stations or a friendly handout. One of those cats had a different journey. This is his story:

The brown tabby cat sat huddled, chilled to the bone, inside a cardboard box. The towel that lined the bottom of the box was supposed to help keep him warm, but it was wet from falling snow the day before. He'd never known snow or such deeply penetrating cold. His paws were numb. His breath came out in misty puffs.

He shifted his weight to keep the blood flowing to his feet, but he was unable to get comfortable. He had to stay put or risk losing his territory to the other homeless cats in the neighborhood. At his age, the days were fast approaching where he'd no longer be able to protect his simple home. The many battle scars on his ragged ears were testament to his struggle to survive for as long as he had.

For the past year, he lived on the lawn of a church in Georgia. The church members provided this box for him, as well as food and water. The church members adopted him, in a way, and were all very affectionate towards this rough and tumble looking cat. It was more than most stray cats get, but it was lacking in some ways, too. The church folks felt he was fine as he was, but one of the members didn't agree. He noticed the cat shaking his head, digging at his ears, clearly in discomfort. His coat was in poor condition. He looked like he'd been in fights many times. He could tell this cat needed veterinary care.

He suggested taking the cat to the Vet. The parishioners did not agree and said “he loved it there” and he was “fine”. The cat had food and water and the love of the church. It was enough. They did not want him to intervene, so all he felt he could do was to go to the local home improvement store and buy a big plastic bin that could serve as a more weather resistant home for this lost creature.

That was until this past winter. Warren Royal, whose love and compassion for animals goes beyond simply providing a great home for his own cats. When he and his wife were approached by two stray kittens one night when they were eating at a local pizza shop, they couldn't ignore their plight and ended up not only rescuing these two cats, but have gone on to rescue many others over the years. They do TNR, Trap, Neuter, Return of feral cats. They donate money to cat rescue organizations. They volunteer and give back in any way they can. They are truly a cat's best friend.

Warren was troubled about this cat's future. He contacted me and told me this touching story. He knew if he didn't go against what the church members wanted, the cat might perish. He'd seen it one too many times before. That this cat even survived the past few months out of doors was a feat in and of itself. I made some suggestions and told Warren, I'd be there for him if he needed my help.

A few days ago, Warren and his wife, Terri, rescued the cat. He named him Bruiser due to his rough appearance. They took Bruiser to the Vet and discovered he had already been neutered at some point in his 8 years of life. Most likely he was dumped for one reason or another. Bruiser was also FIV+, which was not really a surprise considering the battle scars he carried. FIV+ can be transmitted through deep, penetrating bite wounds. It was not a death sentence for Bruiser, but the Forsyth Humane Society, who did Bruiser's evaluation, said they could not accept him into their program. This left Warren with a difficult choice, but really, it was no choice. Warren was committed to caring for this cat, so he brought him home, hoping we'd be able to find Bruiser a permanent home one day soon.

Bruiser had ear mites and a bad ear infection. His belly felt hard, but after an ultrasound they determined it was just gas, probably from eating garbage. Sure, he had worms and teeth in very poor condition. Warren didn't turn away. He just paid the bill. Next week Bruiser will get his dental, but for now he's on a good diet and no longer living in a box.

Bruiser lives in his OWN ROOM, away from Warren's other cats. This is a wise thing to do when bringing a new cat into your home-especially one that may have parasites yet to shed. Bruiser has his own, soft bed. Imagine how it feels on his paws. The room is not cold or drafty. His food is always available and out of the elements. And Bruiser, Warren discovered, could not keep his name. Even though he was rough on the exterior, this cat was the biggest love-muffin Warren has ever met.

It was clear he needed another name, so Bruiser became, Buddy. That's all this cat wants to be. He wants to be your buddy. He wants to rub his head on you or get petted. He's so grateful to be out of that cardboard box and the freezing cold nights, that all he wants to do is spend his days purring and loving his new friends.

Warren knows that he can't keep Buddy. If he does, he can't rescue other cats in need, so Warren is hoping to find a lasting home for this wreck of a cat. His outside may be busted up, but his inside is gleaming with pure affection.

Buddy still needs to have his dental done, but after that he will be ready for adoption. Buddy is an 8 yr old, neutered male tabby with FIV+. He loves people, but we're not sure about other pets just yet. He will be COMPLETELY vetted before he gets adopted. If you'd like to give Buddy a home, or have questions about this lovely cat, please contact Warren directly at: wroyal@namefutures.com

If you live outside the state of Georgia, transportation can be arranged, so don't let that stop you.

If you know someone who might be interested in Buddy, please share this post with your friends and family! Thank you!

And Thank You, Warren and Terri for being completely awesome-for not giving up on an adult cat who lost his home. I'm proud of you!

LOCATION: DOUGLASVILLE, GEORGIA

DUMPED: 15 YEAR OLD, FEMALE

ID# 0850

BLOSSOM's owner brought her to animal control and paid a fee to have her euthanized instead of taking her to the vet's and paying for her to be treated for a urinary tract infection. Poor reward for her 15 years of gentle, faithful companionship!

If someone will take this beautiful Nebelung (German name for the long haired gray cat known as a "creature of the mist"), we have a sponsor who will pay to have her examined and treated by a vet.

Since her euthanasia fee was paid, she MUST have commitment by 3 PM Monday (Feb 28)!

Who makes up these moronic rules? Give the jerk a refund and don't put the cat down! This is a SERIOUS URGENT, please cross post and share!

If you can offer rescue or adoption for this cat, contact:

Pat Hopper - Douglas County Transporter

(cell) 404-725-0393

E-MAIL: pnh1918 (@) aol.com REMOVE SPACES AND PARENTHESIS FROM EMAIL ADDRESS BEFORE CONTACTING PAT. This was added to prevent spam bots from emailing Pat. If you're confused, just drop me an email.

Cara sits in a cage at Dr. Larry's clinic. She's been there most of the week. She hates being confined and alone. She stands on her hind legs and desperately reaches between the metal bars at the Vet Techs that pass by. From time to time, they take her out of the cage and give her some attention, some loving, some time to de-stress, but most of the day she is curled up on her cat bed, waiting.

Cara hasn't gone a day without vomiting up her food, at least once or twice. What's causing her to vomit, we still don't know. Dr. Larry performed the Barium Study, where they get Cara to eat some barium mixed into her cat food. As she swallows, they set a timer and begin taking x-rays of her, every so often. The timer shows up on the x-ray so they can follow the progression of food as it passes into her stomach, then into her intestines.

They look for abnormalities. At “Hour 2,” they saw something, but it wasn't very revealing. In Cara's stomach, there's a slight, rounded area. It can be seen on an xray prior to the study being done. During the study, you can see Cara's intestines, lit up, bright white, but near the red arrow is the pouch with some barium, that eventually passes, but has been held up in the digestion process for a short period of time.

When I visit Cara, each afternoon, Dr. Larry or his associate, Dr. Andrew, talk to me about what they think is wrong. Cara is TINY for her 16 weeks of age. They are describing her as “Failing to Thrive.” This can be a death knell for cats. I know when I hear this, it scares me to no end, but if you spend time with Cara, watch her play, be interested in the world around her, see her pretty green eyes sparkle, surely this is not a cat who's about to die?

Then Dr. Larry tells me Cara's intestines feel a bit soft, not quite right. In xray, they see her liver. It's at an odd angle-not quite right. We've discussed parasites and she's been dewormed a few times with a few different protocols, yet there is one we haven't done, so we'll run some Albon through her just so we can take parasites off the list of what could be wrong.

I ask weird, stupid questions...desparate to think of something that was overlooked. Is one of her organs failing? Does she have hyperthyroid? What makes a cat vomit, but not vomit EVERY time she eats?

We looked at environmental factors. Her siblings crowd the food bowls and she has to fight her way in to eat. I made sure she was eating out of her own bowl, away from the other cats. She jumped off the bed and ran to her sister and started to eagerly grab at food. Of course that would have to make her vomit-eating so fast.

But she's alone. No competition for food. Now I'm not even allowed to visit any more because me leaving stresses her out, too. When I was at the Clinic last night, I could hear her crying. It broke my heart not to be able to go to her.

We spoke of next steps. Endoscopy, would require sedation, which is always something you want to avoid, especially with a young animal. It would possibly give us a view of her stomach that might answer some question. The other choice is an ultrasound, which might show thickening of the intestines or lining of the stomach. No sedation required, but it's expensive.

Then Dr. Larry said my least favorite thing; “You're already spending a small fortune on the barium study. Look at all these xrays.” There must have been 10 or 12 in the manilla envelope. I started doing calculations and guessed that even with my discount it will be about $750.00. I was too scared to ask. The ultrasound will be a few hundred more.

I have to find some balance, but we're not getting any answers. Probably because of the fear of the Vet bill, did I think again and say to Dr. Larry...what about ALL the antibiotics this cat has been on for MOST of her life. I bet that could be making her sick. Maybe she just needs time to recover and not be messed with any more?

Dr. Larry thought I made a valid point-but this is during the time when Cara is still on a heavy dose of antibiotics to slay the darn URI she has had for months. The URI is resolving, but what were the lasting effects of ALL these meds?

Dr. Larry just called. He feels we would find out helpful information if we go ahead and do the ultrasound. It would either tell us clearly that Cara, internally, is fine or that we have a problem. We've been trying to find out why she vomits for over a month and I had to decide if I could find the funds to pay another few hundred dollars for the bill. I asked for a rescue discount. Hopefully the Vet who does the ultrasound will be kind enough to do that for us. Even if he doesn't, I have to push, yet again for funding for Cara.

I really hate to ask for help, but Cara needs it now, more than ever. If you can help, your donation will go straight to our Boo-Boo and Sniffles Fund, which will pay Cara's vet bill.

I can't say, “no” to doing this test, so the ultrasound will be done in an hour. I can't just watch Cara continue to be sick and hope she grows out of it. She hasn't so far and if she continues down this road...well...she may have a very short road ahead of her.

On my Covered in Cat Hair business card, under my name, one of my titles is “Cat Yenta.” Most people think it's a joke, but in truth, it's one of my favorite things to do.

Yenta, originally was a Yiddish word for “Gossip,” but over time has come to mean, “matchmaker!” Instead of matchmaking people together or two cats together (we don't want THAT happening unless they're spayed or neutered!), I love to help people find the perfect cat companion. Hopefully it won't take me twisting anyone's arm behind their back to do so, but a little whining, a trick I learned from my Jewish Mother, doesn't hurt, either.

Last week, Animals in Distress, my true friends in rescue, asked me to help them get the word out on a cat that needed a home. His name is Mittens. I didn't have time to do a write up, but I did post one photo of him on my CiCH Facebook Page.

Mittens was rescued by AID from a terrible situation. He was filthy, starving and trying to survive in the frigid winter without shelter. As you can see, Mittens no longer looks like he's suffering, but on the inside, his heart is broken. He's lonely and needs a true home to call his own.

Mittens is...NINE MONTHS OLD. He's not an adult. He's a BABY! He's a VERY VERY BIG BABY! He's a Maine Coon mix, with an extra toe on each front paw. Having this special feature is called “Polydactyl.” It's also how Mittens got his name.

©2011 Animals in Distress. The ever-lovin' Mittens.

Mittens LOVES to play and loves most other cats. He's affectionate and friendly, despite what he's suffered. He's been tested negative for Feline Leukemia and FIV+. He's been neutered and has his shots. Now he needs a home.

Before I could post this information, one of my readers, a very nice lady named, Ms. Kelley, who lives in New Hampshire, wrote me and asked about adopting him! I didn't know if AID would adopt to her since she lives out of state, so I mentioned something else I'd just found out about.

Cheese.

Remember Cheese? Last year his owner contacted me. She had lost her job and was in the process of losing her home. Instead of turning her beloved cat over to a shelter, where at the age of 9, he didn't stand a chance of leaving alive, she chose to try to find a suitable foster home for him until she could get back on her feet. You can read the entire post, HERE.

The next DAY, one of our kind readers, Ms. Amy, contacted me and offered to give Cheese a home until his Mom could get her life back in order! Hurrah!

But that wasn't the end of the story...

©2010 Ms Amy. Cheese recently.

Recently, Amy was contacted by Cheese's Mom. Sadly, things were still going terribly and in all fairness, she could not see being able to ever take Cheese back home. Could Amy find Cheese a true forever home? He would have been welcome to stay with Amy, but one of her other cats was scared of him-not because he was mean, but because she is a scaredy cat and it was causing some issues-you know the ones...

So I told Ms. Kelley about Cheese. He's 10, now. He weighs 18 pounds and needs to go on a diet. She could have said she really wanted to adopt Mittens, but she didn't. She knows how tough it is for cats to find a home when they get well into adulthood, so she decided Cheese was the one for her and she offered to give Cheese a home!

Cheese, in his yonger days.

I had Ms. Kelley fill out an adoption application, which she passed with flying colors! Ms. Amy agreed it was a MATCH! All that's left is to find a way to get Cheese from Williamsburg, VA to New Hampshire! If any of you are traveling that way or even part of the way, let me know! If any of you happen to be a pilot and can fly a few extra pounds to the northeast, that's great, too! We'd like Cheese to get to his new home soon, so he can enjoy life with two other kitties and two cute Papillons!

But what about Mittens?

So far, Mittens does not have a forever home, but I have a sneaking suspicion he may find one soon. If you're interested in adopting Mittens and live in Connecticut or a nearby state, you can visit AID's website and fill out a Pre Adoption Application. Make sure you mention that Robin sent you!

There's one more kitty who needs our help. Ms. Amy told me that in addition to Cheese needing a home, there was another big orange kitty who was languishing in foster care. His name is Zanzibar.

Zanzibar, waiting for a forever home.

Zanzibar was given up by his owners-their reason, allergies. Zanzibar is a senior cat, so not sure how they suddenly decided they were allergic to him!

Zanzibar has lived in a room, alone, for a year. He keeps hoping to find a forever home, but no one wants him. Zan loves people, but I'm told he's not too keen on other cats. When I hear this, I always have to ask if Zan was properly introduced to other cats OR was it not done according to cat to cat etiquette? He may be just fine with another cat, but the owner would have to take the introduction slowly. They think he might prefer dogs, but again, SLOW introduction might be the key.

The bottom line is this big, orange, senior needs a break. He can even do tricks, so this is no dull boy. Zan is located in Williamsburg, Virginia. If you'd like to know more about Zanzibar and see a VIDEO of him, please visit HERE

On the Eve of St. Valentine's Day, I hope my words are like Cupid's arrow and that somewhere, out there, the hearts of a few families are inspired to fall in love with these big fellas and to help make their dream come true—a real forever home, filled of love.

...and no chocolate, please. Cats and chocolate don't mix!