Announcements

An anonymous tip to the Marion Animal Resource Connection, a small, new 5013c located in the rural Marion county, TN area, alerted April Bowden, MARC's Founder, to the possibility of a hoarding situation. While the sheriff's department can respond, there is no animal shelter or animal control in the county, therefore no one to take animals and humanely house them. MARC does not have a facility and is solely foster based. (April started MARC when she moved to Marion county from Knoxville, TN and was upset by the conditions of the animals in the county.)

One of the sweet survivors hoping to be freed from filthy conditions soon.

April enlisted the help of Sgt. Cox with the Marion county Sheriff's department and they went to the property where they found 17 dogs on short chains and in wire dogs crates outside and 30+/- cats. Two of the dogs had died inside their crates. The weather was about to turn very cold, with an expected low of 5 degrees.

The local fire department offered temporary space for the dogs overnight and then Humane Educational Society out of Chattanooga, TN was able to take the 15 dogs but has not been able to assist with the cats.

Volunteers have gone back to the property and were able to get cats in carriers and also trap cats yesterday. There were 23 cats taken and about 10 remain on the property that will be trapped later this week.

The cats are friendly but shy and scared due to all the activity. They are young cats, most appear to be between 8-12 months of age. There are all different colors, dilute calico, half face torti, torti with orange bib, two Russian blue grey males, white with blue eyes, tabbies, including a marble tabby with orange eyes, a tuxedo, grey/white, solid black, a fluffy orange tabby, etc.

MARC needs help with funding the vetting for these cats. The cats are being vetted for $40 (which is really inexpensive!) per cat - FVCRP, rabies, spay/neuter, and combo tests.

They also need adopters who are willing to give these sweet cats a home. AND THEY STILL NEED Placement/Rescue for approximately 20 more cats.

How You Can Help

Like MARC on Facebook and help them Share messages as this urgent situation unfolds.

DONATE. For $40 you just helped save the life of one cat! Bargain! GO HERE TO DONATE.

RESCUE. If you're with a cat rescue or humane society and would like to help. Transport can be provided and cats will be vetted prior to you getting them! How easy is that? TENNESSEE AND SURROUNDING STATES please step up! If you're further away, no worries. We CAN get the cats to you!

Freshly trapped, very hungry, friendly but scared, these kitties are going to get vetted so they'll be ready for their new homes or rescue placements soon!

ADOPT. I've provided some photos of some of the cats. There are plenty more. Fill out an Adoption application and someone from MARC will be in touch with you. You can pretty much get any cat in any color you want.

HELP DRIVE CATS TO THE VET or SHUTTLE THEM TO RESCUES IF YOU LIVE IN THE AREA.

TEXT APRIL BOWDEN: 423 240 3915 if you'd like to help or donate supplies or A SPACE TO TEMPORARILY HOUSE THE CATS or HOUSE even SOME OF THE CATS. THEY HAVE FEW RESOURCES. ALL HELP IS APPRECIATED.

Together we have done MANY amazing things, helping cats down the road or thousands of miles away. Sharing is Caring. Please help me get the word out about this sad situation.

Let's WIN ONE for the Cats!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. This is how I start my morning kitten feeding ritual with the Clementines, the ½ dozen orange cuties I rescued from a kill shelter in Kentucky last October. I count heads. I have to count them because for the life of me, I can barely tell them apart. Okay, one is buff color, so she is easy to spot, but the others, my GOD, other than all black cats, these are the toughest cats to tell apart.

Holy moley! Did you see the news? Covered in Cat Hair was chosen as one of the 5 Cat Blogs to read in 2014 on Answers.com!

I'm so thrilled to start the year off with good news AND to be included with such a fine group of writers. It's truly an honor and I'm so grateful. The only problems is…now I have to live up to this acknowledgment! Oops. I better get to writing.

Speaking of stories..stay tuned. We have some more good news. One of our kittens has been adopted and is already in her new home, but which one is it? Find out, along with some awesome photos of the kitten with her siblings enjoying their last afternoon together.

And if you're in the mood to read right away, make sure you visit the other Cat Blogs listed in Ingrid King's post:

Vox Felina

The Tiniest Tiger

The Creative Cat

The Conscious Cat

Don't forget, too, that Ingrid's Answer posts also cover all sorts of cat-related questions, so it's definitely another great resource!

Grab a cup of coffee and kick back for a few minutes. Let's take a look back on 2013.

January

Without a doubt Jackson Galaxy, our charming, pain in the ass, dearly beloved foster cat getting adopted was the surprise of the dawning of 2013. Jackson, who suffers from HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy), was never expected to find a forever home with anyone other than Sam and myself and when Mickey and Offie offered to bring him to northern Vermont to join them in “retirement” we knew it was the right thing to do.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Sweet Jackson.

Inasmuch as we love Jackson, living with so many cats here was too much stress on his heart. He would be the solo cat, get all the attention and his new protector might just be his lady-Vet, a good friend of his new family, who is overseeing his care.

Jackson did great with his new family and he often sent us notes. A few months ago we got a very sad update that Jackson’s heart was getting worse and that his lady-Vet was concerned that his life will now be measured in months instead of years. We were very busted up about it, but I’m glad to report that so far, with new medication, Jackson is still doing all right and celebrated his first Christmas with his family.

February

As February arrived so did a little fireball named Tansy. She was our first adoption and our worst adoption. We foolishly trusted someone from far away and she turned out to be a hoarder. Tansy was taken into animal control in North Carolina and sat in a cage for the better part of TWO YEARS, while a few of her companions sickened from upper respiratory and had to be euthanized. After monthly calls and emails, begging to get our cat back, I got the news that Tansy was ours again. To celebrate her new life, we gave her a new name: Mabel-Baby. Mabel arrived, immediately ready to explore, make new friends and live her life to the fullest.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Mabel-Baby.

Mabel’s had a few chances to be adopted since she arrived, but we’re being extremely picky about her new home. She’s also charmed us so much that perhaps we’re dragging our feet a bit more than we should, but we aren’t going to make any more mistakes about where she lives or who she lives with.

March

Our Kitties for Kids program was slowing down, but news of it had reached the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association. They contacted us to say they were going to award our kittens the “Pet of the Year” award for their service to the people of Newtown after the heartbreaking tragedy here in 2012. Not only that, but U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal was going to give us a Certificate of Special Recognition by the State of Connecticut for our efforts, as well.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson.

April

In early April we attended the CVMA ceremony. It was one of the crowning achievements of our non-profit’s work, but sadly our joy was short-lived. Something had been “off” with foster kitten, Fred. We’d been running him back and forth to the Vet. We’d rule in, then rule out FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis). We begged for donations, which thank goodness, we were able to get. We saw more and more Vets and did more and more tests, while Fred slowly, cruelly lost the use of his back legs, then front…after trying every treatment and doing every test we were left with the heartbreak that Fred did have FIP after all.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson & Katherine Reid. Chloe before and after the first week in foster care-learning to trust.

Chloe is a senior Siamese mix whose owner wanted her euthanized for being a bite risk. As a last resort I was contacted about taking her on. I knew I couldn’t take her into our program but I offered to observe her and see if we could find a way to help her. That cat hated me, to this day she still hisses and growls at me, but Chloe, declawed, fat, neglected and very likely abused, still earned my affection. I cut a deal with Katherine from Animals in Distress. We’d partner to help Chloe and thanks to this blog and Dee D., one of our readers, she pointed us to Angi our uber-foster-mom who said she could give Chloe a long-term foster home and help her find her confidence and learn to trust under her care. None of us would have believed how this story would end if we hadn’t seen it ourselves.

May

We had to let Fred go on May 9, 2013. He was held by Sam as we talked to him while his passed away. It was the first time I’ve ever had to put one of our fosters down. He was only 10-months old. I wrote about Fred’s last days many times. In one post, titled: Dear Fred, I wrote him a letter, giving myself an outlet to share all the love I had for him. I wrote it the day before he died. I told him that he was no longer a foster kitten and that Sam and I had formally done the paperwork and we were adopting him as our own, even though his time with us would be short.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Sweet Fred.

After Fred died, his brother Barney went into mourning. We knew he needed new friends in his life and that’s when he got to meet Bongo, Bunny Boo-Boo and George, who we’d rescued from Georgia in late 2012. It took a week or so but it was pretty clear that Barney, who’d been licking some of his fur off, had known his brother was ill far before we did. Barney’s issues started months before we knew about Fred and his hyper-grooming stopped not long after Fred passed away.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bongo (left) with George. Not related these two cuties got adopted together.

I decided that the foster cats I had would be our last. I couldn’t rescue any more cats. I just couldn’t face any more death. I needed time to heal. I even thought about closing Kitten Associates for good.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Celebrating Ingrid King's birthday at BlogPaws with all our super-awesome cat lady friends.

Near the end of the month, I travelled to Virginia to attend BlogPaws. I was one of the first Presenters and I did a 90 minute talk about our Kitties for Kids program. I didn’t know if I had the courage to do the talk, knowing full well that Fred had been our mascot and that the last slide was in dedication to him. As happens so often in my blog posts, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. We all cried, but being with my friends renewed my passion for saving more lives. I couldn't give up. The cats needed me.

June

The rains came in a deluge and so did the calls to help cats. A cat, from a terrible part of another town, gave birth to 5 kittens on the sidewalk, then moved them to a window well to hide them. I got the call to help and at first I said I wasn’t sure I could do it…okay maybe for a few weeks I’d foster, but that was it. Then I was told that if we didn’t get them they might drown and by the way, all the kittens were orange and white..just like Fred.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. A few days after rescue, Lil' Gracey has some lunch.

I didn’t hesitate to say yes. Minnie and her kittens came to live with us just as we got our new Dropcam set up that I nicknamed: SqueeTV. The kittens were a great joy to me. One of them, in particular, looked a lot like Fred. I couldn’t help but wonder if somehow he had sent this family to me.

The Dogtime Pettie Awards nominations came out. Though I was sad not to be nominated for Best Cat Blog, I was stunned to find out that “Dear Fred” had been nominated for Best Blog Post. Now Fred’s legacy would live on. I couldn’t have been more honored.

July

Minnie was a great mom, but she never had a good appetite. Something was wrong with her and it became clear one morning when I entered the foster room to find it covered with vomit. Minnie was growling, trying to attack her kittens. Shocked, I raced her to the vet. It was touch and go for a few weeks. She had a massive infection, bordering on septic. My heart sank as I feared we’d lose another cat…and what would it mean for her 5 week old kittens?

It meant I was going to be their new mom.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Minnie's kittens growing fast.

Minnie had to be separated from her kittens after that day. Although I tried to reintroduce her to them, she wanted nothing to do with them. The shocking change from loving, protective Mother, to harpy was heartbreaking. The kittens, confused, lost, scared, turned to me and though I was worried I’d do something wrong, we all began to find a new rhythm to our time together.

And then there was BarkAid.

August

Bongo and George had found a great forever home. Bunny and Barney kept each other company while I got to work preparing for a big fundraiser called BarkAid. In the history of names, I think BarkAid was one of the hardest to promote. We do CAT rescue, it’s called BarkAid. They take over a salon and do haircuts for PEOPLE, not DOGS, then donate what they make to a local rescue. I had my hands full trying to scramble to get the 26 ft long banner produced to hang over our town’s main drag, while I was writing press releases, cleaning up kitten vomit, worrying about Minnie, trying to find homes for Barney and Bunny and wondering if any of this was going to work.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson.

I was wiped out, but BarkAid was a success for us. After spending about $1300.00 in advertising and fees related to BarkAid, we still came up with another $1000.00 to put in the bank. We had the second highest number of haircuts of the past two years of the program!

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Mama-Mochachino, exhausted after rescue and two cans of food, finally takes a break in the safety of her foster home with Maria.

A black mama cat and her 3 kittens were zipped up into a cat carrier and dumped in a cul-de-sac on a very hot summer day. Trapped, screaming, clawing to get out, after more than a day, a good Samaritan contacted our mama-Maria to help rescue the family. With nowhere but the kill shelter to go to, I told Maria if she could foster, we’d take them on. The kittens were twin tuxedoes and a little gray and white sibling. Not long after they got settled, we got contacted by another rescuer in the area about helping with one little tuxedo kitten she found in a DUMPSTER, burned on the paws and nose. We had the resources to help him but it meant risking putting him with this mama and her kittens. Would they accept him? Would they sicken him or vice versa? We took a few days to think about it, but in the end, little Biscotti entered our program and our hearts. The family accepted him and no one got sick.

©2013 Betsy Merchant. Our first glimpse of Biscotti after being rescued.

September

I hit a fairly shocking low point in early September. I was so depressed I scared even myself. The grind of the past 9 months had taken a toll on me. On a lark, moments after I found out that Lil’ Bub, the internet’s alien-cat, was going to be in New Jersey at a book signing, I called the book store and asked if I could get a press pass. They gave me the green light. I grabbed my friend Irene and we went to the store. This may sound overly dramatic, but in that moment it truly WAS amazing what happened next.

Meeting Lil’ Bub saved my life.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. I lub Bub.

That cat has magical powers, I swear. Being with her makes you want to cry with joy. The low I’d had in my heart broke apart. I was reminded of the love have for cats, for my friends and I was going to be able to face another day.

Then, the Dogtime Petties are announced via video online. When my category came up, I held my breath. When they announced Covered in Cat Hair as the winner, I started screaming. Sam thought I was being murdered. I ran into the living room and started jumping up and down. I pulled something in my leg and could barely walk for 3 days afterwards, but…I won…FRED WON. Fred had the memorial I had wished and wished for and it meant $1000.00 for Kitten Associates.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Selfie with mah-Pettie.

As I watched the rest of the ceremony, my dear friend, Ingrid King won for Best Overall Pet Blog. This woman is a force to be reckoned with and though I wasn’t surprised she won, it suddenly hit me that her donation of $1000.00 was ALSO coming to Kitten Associates! AT LAST I could stop worrying so much about keeping our doors open…for awhile…

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Best photo of 2013. Chloe let's Angi have it because I got too close with the camera.

The good news didn’t stop there. After months of rehabilitation, Chloe lost a few pounds and was deemed ready to be adopted. Within a few short weeks, we found Pam, who ended up being Chloe’s new mom. They had a tough first few days. Chloe bit Pam badly, but after some time, Chloe began to trust and quickly started a love-fest with Pam’s husband, sleeping next to him and clearly favoring him over Pam. But Pam wasn’t bothered. She kept at it and last I heard Chloe is doing great, meets new people and doesn’t bite any more and loves everyone-except me.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Lolly.

Since we had money in the bank, I rescued two flea-covered, skinny siblings, Lolly & Clark. I didn’t stop there when 6 orange tabby kittens, nicknamed “the Clementines” landed on death row in a Kentucky municipal pound. They were at risk of being killed. I offered money, whatever I could think of, to get a local rescue to take these cuties on. No one stepped forward. I got worried. Someone in KY offered to foster the cats for us, so with great trepidation, I said YES. We’d just gotten a brand new foster home so I thought we’d have the space.

October

What was I thinking?

The Clementines were sick right off the transport and they were COVERED in FLEAS. Not one or two but hundreds. It was a huge mess. Our new foster mom, Jeannie, kicked butt. She HATES fleas and knows how to get rid of them. We bathed all the kittens and got them set up, but with their chronic health problems, I ended up taking them back from her and taking on the roll of their caretaker just days after Lolly & Clark found their forever home. It meant my house was loaded with cats and I was terrified about a flea outbreak. Whatever free time I had was gone.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. The Clementines before we rescued them. The little dilute was not part of their litter and WAS rescued by another group.

My cat Blitzen got sick with a mysterious allergic reaction and rodent ulcer on his mouth. I had to put him on steroids which kicked back his immune system and he caught the upper respiratory that the Clementine’s were fighting. I basically had a house full of sick cats. The days were a blur of Vet runs, medicating, worrying. Little Sherbert’s left eye was so bad we couldn’t even SEE his eye any more. We worked tirelessly to get these cats back on their paws while some of my own cats started to get the sniffles.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Robin and Grumpy Cat.

I took one evening off to travel to NYC to attend the Friskies where I met Grumpy Cat. Of course my camera crapped out on me while I was holding her but my iPhone worked well enough to capture the moment. Did meeting Grumpy Cat change my life? No. I felt bad for her, in truth. Everyone was handling her. No one seemed to be looking out for her the way Mike Bridavsky does with Lil’ Bub.

I also got to meet Will Braden, filmmaker and cat-daddy who creates the Henri le Chat Noir videos. Will is a sweetheart. We had a great conversation about how he does his videos (you can’t direct a cat, you have to go with their natural instincts) and we talked about art school (since we both went to one) and just about how weird it is for him to have a slice of fame and fortune. He is clearly humbled by it and somewhat amused. I hope celebrity doesn’t get to his head. So far, so good.

November

I was stunned when our former foster, Willow got returned. She’d had flea bite dermatitis, her fur looked terrible, she was thin. She was stress-peeing in the new home and her owner was getting divorced. It was just too much for him and I was glad to have her back. Willow was reunited with Barney, who’d been with us over a year by then. They went right back to being best friends and when David, a police officer from Danbury, saw Willow on Petfinder, then met Barney, he realized he wanted them both to be part of his family.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Barney & Willow reunited at last.

Willow blossomed again and Barney had a new mom. David sent me a video of Willow grooming Barney as he sat there, clearly loved, clearly happy, after losing his brother, his other siblings at birth, and his own mom, he had family again and I couldn’t be happier with how it worked out.

Minnie was still waiting for her forever home, but we found a lovely foster home with Barbara and her family, so Minnie was doing well, getting chubby and loving life. She's gained about SIX POUNDS since we rescued her.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Minnie, still waiting for her forever home.

Bunny Boo-Boo finally found her home, too, with one of our friends who lives in the Boston area. They’d been looking for a very long time to add a cat to their family, which included a shy orange tabby named Sunny. Sunny & Bunny. Who didn’t see this coming?

December

The Clementines still battle being sick. Mocha and family arrived and Confetti Joe & Lil’ Gracey, two of Minnie’s kittens were still here. Their siblings had found great homes months ago. I added it up. I had 22 cats in my house. I tried not to be freaked out. I have the space, but the resources and the time are another thing all together. I kept wondering..where are the adopters and WHEN can I put the Clementines on Petfinder? They’d had a bad reaction to a vaccination. I had to wait weeks longer than normal to get them spayed/neutered. They still had a runny eye here and there and in the meantime they were blowing out of their room they were so BIG.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Poor Sherbert. These kittens wax and wane with their upper respiratory infections.

In addition to the usual holiday “to do’s” we had to plan what we’d do to honor the first year anniversary of the Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. We decided to re-open our Kitties for Kids program for a few weeks. Even though Sam and I were both exhausted, we knew we had to give back and offer to help those in need. If we lost another Christmas, so be it.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Downtown Sandy Hook, CT on December 14, 2013.

The day came on soft paws. It snowed. The press stayed away. No one needed Kitties for Kids. We shed some tears and lit a candle. We knew life is too short as it is and to remember to cherish whatever we have for as long as we have it.

As 2013 draws to a close, I can take some pride in announcing that although there was great heartbreak, there were also some great milestones. The most important is in the numbers. How many lives did we save this year?

Last year we saved 60 lives.

I count saved lives as: literally rescued and brought into our program and cats we’ve found other rescue placements for by networking. We can’t track every “save” we’ve done by networking, but this year we’ve help at least: 94 CATS!

And what’s in store for 2014?

Here are some hints…

Big Changes for Covered in Cat Hair.

Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with me, who cries with me and laughs with and sometimes AT me! I couldn’t do this without all of you by my side. Look what we’ve done. Let’s drink a toast to the good stuff of 2013 and say a gentle farewell to the difficult days.

Happy 2014 to Us All!

The “Anniversary” approaches. We here in Sandy Hook, Connecticut don’t need more of a description than that. We know the anniversary referred to is of the horrific shooting that happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December 14, 2012. It was a tragedy that wiped away the lives of 20 children and 8 adults.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. One of the thousands of messages sent to help Newtown heal.

I realize some folks would have difficulty that I include the 2 people who caused this horror in my tally—the 1 who actually pulled the trigger and the other who arrogantly had an arsenal of guns in her suburban home combined with a son who she KNEW had mental illness and severe social issues. They died, too. The horror that occurred is unforgivable, but I gently suggest that after a year has passed, perhaps it’s time to include those people in our heartbreak and include them in our mourning as we struggle to move forward.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson.

What we have learned in twelve months is that people love our town. People who didn’t even know where Connecticut was, let alone Sandy Hook, sent us truckloads of letters and cards expressing their sentiments. These people are from all over the world, who just wanted to let us know how much they cared. They reached out to us and held us. They gave us gifts. They donated many millions of dollars to funds that go to the families of the fallen, that will help our town government run and more (GE “donated” 5 employees to our town to help our First Selectman with anything she needed).

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Love, the theme of so many messages of support.

As the sheath of heartbreak begins to fall away, what lies beneath that is what has been their all along-love; love that we may have previously held close, that we protected, fearful to express it. It was a love we may not have felt we had enough to share, but with the tragedy behind us, this love has grown bigger and grander and more open and fearless. It is more welcoming and accepting than any love we have ever known. It is because we don’t try to forget what happened, we use it as a reminder to cherish our fragile lives and the lives of everyone around us. It reminds us to not be afraid to reach out a hand and offer it to a stranger, not asking for anything in return, but having confidence that helping others helps us, too.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson.

Our town is already bracing for an onslaught of media coverage. Pat Llodra, our First Selectman, asks them to stay away and let us grieve in peace. The local Catholic church has signs in their yard warning: “No Media Beyond this Point! Police Take Notice.” In some ways I agree with that request, but for one reason I disagree. I would like the media to come here and focus not on the pain, but on the ways we have been helping each other and to use the media to remind others to mark this sad day by doing at least one good thing for a stranger. The families of the fallen ask for 26 acts of kindness, 1 for each person who was killed, and they ask that everyone do these things for people in their own community. We don’t need more things here, we need more love and that love should be expressed by helping others, simple as that.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. A Christmas card I came across. What a lovely message.

Last year my non-profit cat rescue, Kitten Associates, helped others the day after the shooting and it continued on for 5 months. We opened our home to anyone who needed us by creating what became an award-winning program called Kitties for Kids. Kids, parents, now-grown former students of Sandy Hook Elementary came to us. They played with our foster kittens. They petted our cat Nora’s big belly. The saddest of the children eventually smiled, even if it was a shy, tentative smile. It was the beginning of them finding their way back to the world from the darkness of a broken heart and we were honored to be part of that journey.

In a few days we will be re-opening our home. Kitties for Kids will begin again and for the next 2 weeks anyone who needs us will find open arms and new furry friends. Inasmuch as we know our community needs us, we need them, too. Hearing children giggle was an unexpected gift that gave us the fuel to continue to help others.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Our town hall turned into the display area for all the cards and banners. There were too many to read each one. I've heard they photographed every single piece, but my mind boggles at the thought.

Although blazing gun control legislations weren’t passed in the last year and we learned we may never know why Lanza chose Sandy Hook Elementary to express his rage, the love that has blossomed out of the heartbreak is magical and we hope it will radiate throughout the world.

I hope you will join me in doing an act of kindness on Saturday, December 14, 2013 to mark this sad occasion. I hope you’ll consider taking it up a notch and do 28 acts of kindness (or 26 if you prefer), whether it be to volunteer at your local animal shelter or buy them a 28 pounds of cat food, or to shovel your elderly neighbor’s walkway or to pay for someone’s groceries.

©2013 Maggie Russo. The lovely lady who keeps my hair looking great shared this photo with me. A stranger bought everyone at Salon Michele their morning coffee.

Let’s show the world that through heartache we can discover great love.

And may I humbly suggest that we don't stop there. Let’s continue to look for ways to help each other EVERY DAY and change the course of history, from one fueled by greed and selfishness to one of compassion and love.

On December 14, 2012 my neighbor was murdered in her bed. Her son took off, armed to the hilt and for reasons we may never know, headed for our local elementary school and murdered some of the staff and 20 children.

From the moment I heard the news, I knew I had to do something to help my community. I didn't have much to offer, other than a house full of foster kittens, but what I take for granted, I knew other people might find unique. What I also knew is the healing power that resulted in spending time with kittens. Pet a kitten. Watch them play. You can't be sad when you're in a room full of kittens. The day after the tragedy, my program Kitties for Kids was born. A year later I can say that it was possibly the best thing I've ever done in my entire life.

I had no idea we'd get accolades from the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association or that I'd meet someone I look up to-U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who also awarded our program with a Special Certificate of Recognition. I just wanted to help my broken-hearted community and had no idea or expectation that anything would happen to me as a result of giving back.

Our program was extended into the spring of this year, then it faded away when our dear kitten Fred, grew ill and later died from the dry form of FIP. I didn't give Kitties for Kids much thought. I was too busy grieving. We didn't get requests for visits and I thought it was time to close the program.

This summer, I was surprised when Susan Logan, the Editor of Cat Fancy contacted me and asked me if I'd be interested in having them do a story about our program for their December 2013 issue. I didn't hesitate to offer to write the article myself, but in all fairness she said it would be better reporting if she sent someone to me to do the story. I agreed, though as a cat writer, I admit to being a bit frustrated to being so close to writing for a national publication I'd admired since I was a kid.

I met with Kellie Gormly, a cheerful, chatty, cat-lover early in April. We talked at great length about not only doing rescue work, but how the residents of Newtown were coping. I took her on a tour, showing her the Newtown Healing Arts Center where the arts were used to help the children express their feelings and where many donations of artwork were displayed from around the world. I showed her other areas that were about being positive and hopeful, instead of focusing on a tour of where grisly events unfolded. We paid respect to the little fire station near where Sandy Hook Elementary once stood. On its roof are 26 bronze stars, one for each of the victims in the school. It was a cold, bright day, not unlike the day of the shooting. I didn't want to be anywhere near this place and was glad to leave it behind.

Kellie got to work on the article while the design staff at Cat Fancy reviewed the photos I sent them and made their selections for what would make the issue. At the time I had no idea which photos were going to be used where, nor how long the piece was going to be. I hoped for at least a 2-page spread, but had no idea what they'd end up doing.

The article about Kitties for Kids starts on page 16!

My dear friend Ingrid King sent me an email with the subject saying something to the effect of: "OMG DID YOU SEE THIS??!” Ingrid had attached a scan of the article. Unbeknownst to me, Cat Fancy came out early to subscribers and Ingrid hadn't known Kitten Associates was going to be featured. I imagined her turning page after page, then seeing someone she recognized…there's ROBIN and Spencer!

To quote my mother, I think I “plotzed” when I saw the scan. There, on the very first page of the article was a photo of me with Spencer. It took up more than half the space. When I envisioned the photo being used, I assumed it might be a thumbnail-size near the end of the article. Oh no…it was me in all my glory. Holy moley. I wondered if this is what it's like to be a celebrity? I admit to feeling a mix of delight and horror. Yes, I need to be out there in the public so my rescue can get more help, but wowie it is a strange feeling to see yourself in a magazine you often read.

Here's a sneak peek of the December 2013 Issue of Cat Fancy. To get your own copy, visit Cat Fancy online.

The next day I had to bring some kittens to Dr. Larry's and the second I walked in the door, I ran over and grabbed their copy of Cat Fancy. I asked if I could do "show and tell" during my appointment and they looked at me like I was crazy (which they are also used to by now). I went into the exam room and looked at the article. It blew me away. Kellie did a great job and I loved the layout. It is 4 pages long and full of photos from our program. They even honored Fred's passing, which meant the world to me.

My parents died many years ago and this is one thing I wish they had lived to see. All the hard work, the tears, resulted in something wonderful for Kitten Associates. When Dr. Larry looked at the spread, his face lit up. He smiled. He was really impressed and proud of me. In that moment I realized how meaningful it is to get a reminder that you're doing the right thing. It gives me fuel to keep going when times get tough.

Kitties for Kids hasn't come to an end. After careful consideration, we have decided to do a special 2-week run of our program. It will start on December 14th, the first anniversary of the tragedy and will run until December 28th. Though we hope no one will feel the need for kitty play-therapy because their hearts are healing, we'll be ready in case we're needed. If you live in Newtown, CT and would like to book a play therapy session, just email us at info@kittenassociates. org and we'll fill you in on how to sign up.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of the December 2013 issue of Cat Fancy, check your local retailers right now or visit Cat Fancy online. Be sure to check out their Cat Channel which has loads of helpful information about cats, their health and behavior issues. Oh, and don't forget to LIKE them on Facebook!

In any big city as you walk down the street, you might come across a street performer playing music with an open guitar case next to him displaying a small collection of spare change scattered inside it. You might walk hurriedly past the person, feeling uncomfortable to connect with a stranger, or, if the music is just right, you may become his audience, if only for a few moments. Before you part, you fish out a few coins or notes to offer him for his time, leaving it behind in the case.

James Bowen’s International Bestseller; “A Street Cat Named Bob & How He Saved My Life” chronicles his life and the divine meeting of the self-described recovering heroin addict and “busker” (in the USA we would call him a street performer) and a very special orange tabby cat he later named, Bob.

You can’t read a book about someone else’s life without comparing it to your own. In reading Bowen’s words, I was caught up in challenges of his life lived on the streets, to transitional housing in London, which allowed him to continue treatment for his addiction. Where one night his fate would be forever changed by meeting an injured Tom cat who was sitting outside the door of an apartment in his building. In the same way the busy London crowds might ignore a busker, Bowen could have chosen to walk past the cat and not get involved.

In fact, during Bowen’s first weeks with Bob, he often gave the cat chances to leave since Bowen could barely afford to feed himself, let alone provide vet care for an injured cat. Where this story takes a surprising turn is that regardless of how much Bowen protests or questions what he's doing with this cat, the cat, however has clearly made up his mind about what he wants. This cat is like no other. Instead of being fearful, he saunters along with Bowen down crowded streets, even following Bowen onto a bus. He keeps Bowen company as Bowen plays guitar in a public garden, hoping to earn enough money to get to the next day. With his new furry partner at his side, crowds begin to form around the curious duo and the contents of the guitar case show surprising results .

The lesson that was clear to me is that in getting involved with Bob, Bowen’s life opened up in ways he NEVER could have imagined. What’s true for his relationship with his cat is also true in our daily lives. It’s a reminder that we need to stay open to each other whether it be a stray cat in your yard, a stranger on the street or your neighbor. We need to be willing to take a chance and get involved-to be of assistance to each other without a thought about “what’s in it for me?”

Photo courtesy of James Bowen & Street Cat Bob's Facebook Page

A Street Cat Named Bob is a quick read, especially if you speed-read the scary parts where a few worriesome things happens to Bob and Bowen (I won’t spoil it here) and you can’t stand waiting to get to the part where you hope they’re okay again. I found myself rooting for the two of them to see what was becoming clear-that they belonged together.

While the prose is a bit awkward and those of us in the USA might need to translate some of the terms (like moggie=cat), it’s an honest telling of the story. Bowen, himself, is not from a polished private school background built around decades of studying literature. I wouldn't believe the story if it was better written and it would have lost some of its charm. His voice rings clear, even though he did have some help from writer Garry Jenkins to structure the tale just right.

I had the opportunity to ask James a few questions about how he’s doing now and how he feels about his book becoming an International Bestseller and this is what he had to say:____

Photo courtesy of James Bowen & Street Cat Bob's Facebook Page

Nothing…I tried in vain to get answers to a handful of questions. I spoke with Mr. Bowen's Publicist via email a number of times. After two months I've given up that any of my questions will ever be answered. Though I'm definitely not thrilled to share this news with you, it does not diminish what I think about Mr. Bowen's book.

Considering we're about to hit a holiday here in the USA where we should remember to be thankful, A Street Cat Named Bob is the sort of story that reminds us to be grateful for what we have when so many aren't as fortunate. As for Mr. Bowen, his life is changing in ways he never could have imagined and with Bob by his side the future is looking bright.

A Streetcat Named Bob is available for purchase HERE.

UPDATE: LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN YOUR VERY OWN COPY OF  A Street
Cat Named Bob! Winner chosen at random 11/27/13 at 6PM EST. USA Residents only.

She lives in a bad part of town south of Atlanta, Georgia in an apartment complex where she and her daughter are in hiding from her abusive husband. I can't say her name or mention her town to keep her safe. She doesn't have two sticks to rub together. She doesn't have a car. She barely gets by on her own.

3 to 4 Month old gray kitten-FRIENDLY.

The one thing she does have is a love for cats and their well-being. Against the rules of the apartment complex where she lives, she takes on the stray cats that show up in endless numbers and tries to do right by them. Last week I found out that 3 more kittens, probably litter mates, had shown up and were living off dumpster food or scraps they could beg at the nearby McDonald's. It's no life for any cat, but this woman is trying to get help for them and is feeding them what she can until we can get a rescue involved.

I'm left scratching my head about what to do. I've got 22 cats in my house. More than half are rescues. I'm not getting adoption applications. I'm worried I won't find homes for the cats I already have.

I want to help this person, partially because I know she's risking her home by helping these cats. I want to help because I love cats too and will do as much as I can.

3 to 4 Month old medium-haired orange kitten-FRIENDLY, but a bit shy (just needs a bit of lovin').

We all see pleas for help every day so I know it's asking a lot. These cats face either being returned outside or given up to the local kill shelter where they will probably never get out. I'd like to give them a chance and I hope you'll help me simply by sharing this news with any of your cat loving friends-especially ones that do rescue in Georgia.

Let's Make a Deal

We need an ATLANTA-AREA or GEORGIA, USA-AREA Rescue Group to take these kittens.

What I Will Do in Return

The cats weigh about 3 lbs, so it means they are about 3-4 months old (yes they look bigger in the photos). They are all friendly, though the orange one is a bit shy. They will need vetting, but I'm not asking for any rescue to pick up the tab.

Kitten Associates will grant a legitimate 501c3 non-profit rescue $100.00 PER kitten ($300.00 total) to cover costs of vetting. They must take ALL 3 kittens.

3 to 4 Month old black and white kitten-FRIENDLY & GOOFY.

We will transport the cats to your door. You do not have to get them.

I will PROMOTE the rescue group's good work here on my blog and on Facebook that can reach tens of thousands of cat-centric fans.

I will ask those fans to offer donations to your organization and look at your cats for adoption. There is a chance that these 3 cats will not cost you a dime and may help you place other cats, too.

Rub ma belleh.

If you're with a rescue and can take these kittens, please contact me, Robin Olson, at info@coveredincathair.com

Thank you and please let your friends know about these kitties. This woman has given everything she has to save these cats from death. In her honor let's help these cats find a life.

All the kittens get along well with each other. Can you help us find them a rescue?

Twenty-four cats were seized as part of an animal cruelty case in North Carolina. Due to the Court System and the former owner, who would not stop fighting the case, the animals were left to suffer at Animal Control for TWO YEARS. Many got upper respiratory infections, almost half ended up losing their lives. Of the thirteen cats who survived, one came to my home (a cat I named Mabel, who had been one of our former fosters) and the most of the rest went to Wake County SPCA (who I'd been working with behind-the-scenes to help these cats). If you'd like to read more about this story, you can visit this LINK.

Today I'm thrilled to share with you an email I got yesterday from Elinor. She adopted one of the other cats named Jethro and she wanted to give me an update. Her story and photos are used with permission.

©2013 Iredelle County Animal Services. Our first look at Jethro.

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“I recently found your blog about 12 kitties caged for 2 years.

I wanted to send you a big thank you for finding shelters to take these cats. My husband and I adopted Jethro from the Wake County SPCA in June. He is such a smart, playful, friendly cat.

©2013 Elinor Angel.

I saw him at the SPCA, a little cat sitting on a chair watching over the lobby. I petted him briefly, he was sweet. When I moved on to some other cats, he got out of the chair and came up to me for more petting. When I left the room, he followed me to the door and looked through adorably. He was just begging me to take him home. I took a picture with my phone and looked at it a lot. We came back the next day and adopted him.

I like to think he picked me.

©2013 Elinor Angel.

When we first got him, he was temperamental from switching environments. He had some of that pet me/don't pet me attitude, but he really wanted love. Slowly he started to trust us more, let us pet him and request attention. As I'm writing this, he's in my husband's lap purring loudly. He is one of the smartest cats I've met and eager to please. He follows me around the house, sits for treats and plays fetch with a ball. He loves climbing on things and running up and down the hallway. I've learned that exercising him is important or he runs around all night.

©2013 Elinor Angel.

It just breaks my heart every time I think about him caged for two years, it's just so cruel. I'm so grateful to you and the Wake County SPCA for getting him to me! I thought you might like to see a couple pictures of him as a happy kitty.”

Thank you,

Elinor

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Once in awhile we get to take a moment to look back and realize that all our efforts, our tears, were so worth it. This one cat has the chance to live the life he's deserved since the day he was born. It's clear that thanks to Wake County SPCA, this cat and most of the remaining twelve cats have the same chance at a happy life and for that I will always be grateful.

What didn't pass unnoticed was something magical. It's Elinor's last name. Angel.

Once in awhile you get a foster cat who doesn’t cause any trouble, who doesn’t have serious behavioral issues, who gets a bit…meh-sick…but not really ill. They might not stand out from the crowd. Sometimes it takes more than simply spending time with them to see how they stand apart, but in this case I didn't see this cat's magnificence until I saw her through other people's eyes.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bright-eyed Bunny.

I’m referring to Bunny Boo-Boo, the now full-grown brown tabby who started her story with us as a little 4-month old kitten, dumped in the parking lot of Target in McDonough, Georgia. Bunny’s family, for whatever reason, thought that dumping their cat was the answer for whatever issues they had with her. Was it that they couldn’t afford to take care of her? Couldn’t keep her in their apartment due to regulations? Were they just cold-hearted fiends?

What I do know is in September of 2012, our intrepid foster mama, Maria, was shopping at Target when she saw Bunny, just moments after she got dumped. Seeing cats running loose in her town is not uncommon. It’s a sad fact that there is rampant cat overpopulation in the south and Maria has helped as many as she can (most end up coming to our rescue, Kitten Associates). I don’t know how Maria does it, but she jumped into action, even though she was already fostering other cats for us—even though she has more than enough on her plate.

Bunny's Adoption Flyer featuring photos of her when she was a kitten. What a cutie!

Maria called me to ask if I could take the kitten and at the time I had to say no, but I did say I would help her find a home for Bunny. Maria got Bunny vetted and I designed a flyer she could hang out at work and share around town. Bunny did very well in Maria’s home. In fact, Maria became very fond of her little tabby sweetheart. A few months passed and Maria felt hopeless about finding Bunny a home. She asked me again if I could help and since I had space I told her I would take her on, knowing I might have a hard time finding Bunny a placement. She was much bigger now and as you know, the bigger they are, the harder to find cats a home.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Sleepytime.

Bunny arrived in Connecticut in February of this year, along with her new buddies, George and Bongo. They were all adult cats, but I wanted to see if we could make a go of adopting out cats that were older than kittens. It took a few months, but Bongo and George found a great home together. By then we’d had some changes in our foster spaces and with poor Barney alone, after his brother Fred died, we put him with Bunny and they got along great.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bunny and buddy, George.

During all these months since Bunny arrived, a friend of mine in Boston named Michelle, had told me she was looking to add a kitty to her family. She and her husband, Pat had a sweet cat named Sunny. Sunny was submissive and shy so when they brought a new kitty into their home, Sunny stopped eating. The new kitty was marvelous on her own, but she was too much for Sunny and they began to worry about his health.

Though they tried everything they could, they realized it wasn’t a good match. They had no other choice but to return the cat to the shelter, but the good news was the kitty was not at any risk and the couple gave the rescue a huge donation and returned their adoption fee. The kitty was adopted again shortly thereafter.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bunny has a "necklace" of black fur that encircles her neck, then runs down her back, all the way down her tail.

The couple truly suffered after that unfortunate experience and decided to take a very careful, long look for another cat. After they shared their story with me, I suggested a few different cats for them and we talked at great length about each cat’s personality and how it might work with Sunny’s. At the time, Bunny was still in Georgia, so I offered other cats we had as options. Then, nothing came of it.

I didn’t hear much from Michelle for months. I didn’t pester her. I figured she adopted from another place. What I didn’t know was that Michelle had a death in her family and there were a lot of expected issues surrounding that so she stepped back from thinking about adopting a cat for a long time. Meanwhile, Bunny continued to be overlooked as many of our other foster cats got adopted. After the first year passed, I wondered if we'd ever find Bunny a home.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bunny with new buddy, Confetti Joe.

A few weeks ago, I heard from Michelle. It had been about 10 months since we first started talking about finding her a good match. I told her about Bunny and sent her photos. She used our web cam to observe Bunny’s interaction with her new foster friends, Gracey and Joey.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bunny snoozing with Minnie's kittens.

Michelle and Pat thought that maybe it was a sign that this was their new cat because they already called their current cat, Sunny-Bunny and they loved how sweet Bunny was with the kittens. She often groomed them and slept with them. If she was so friendly with Minnie's 5 kittens, Barney, George and Bongo, certainly there was a good chance that Sunny would someday be her new best friend.

We set up a time to meet and I thought it might be Bunny’s adoption day, but the couple wanted to drive down from Boston just to meet this kitty and to really, truly make sure that this was the kitty of their dreams.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. I oftener watched the kitties sleeping together via our Dropcam.

I liked that they wanted to meet her without the pressure of deciding. They know what a commitment it is to adopt a cat and they take it very seriously. I had a good feeling about it when within the first few moments of entering the room, Bunny walked over to Pat and rubbed up against him! Bunny had been quite a shy kitty when she first arrived in Connecticut and as the months passed she’d become more friendly and outgoing. I was delighted to see her out of her shell, but I also knew that she had to win Michelle over, too.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bunny is very good at making funny faces.

I left the couple with Bunny to have some private time with her. I thought about how she’d been in our program for over a year and that in all those months she’d only had ONE adoption application that fell through right away. Bunny has beautiful coloring, a deliciously soft coat and is in prime health. She’s also very charming and has a high-pitched me-ow that I find amusing. I don’t know why she never had a line out the door of potential adopters, but in truth, all she needed was one good one.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Licking Gracey's tail.

Michelle called for me to join her and her husband in the foster room. I asked them how it went and they were very pleased. I asked them “Is this your cat?” and they said YES! Though they weren’t ready to take Bunny home with them that day, we did sign the contract, sealing the deal.

Bunny had her forever home, at last.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Gracey and Bunny.

Michelle and Pat wanted time to get their home ready, buy a few things for Bunny and arrange to take a few days off to help ease her transition. I was very impressed and thrilled when they talked about how they plan on spoiling her, too. Clearly, there was something about Bunny that stood out from all the other cats they could have adopted. Maybe I didn’t see how special she was until I saw her through their eyes as they began their lives together. I hope it works out for both Bunny and her new friend, Sunny, but only time and careful introductions will tell.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bunny the spy.

I’m off to drive Bunny to Massachusetts to start the next chapter in her life. Though it took a very long time for Bunny to find the right place, I’m happy about how things worked out for her. Bunny will have lots and lots of love and the companionship of both humans and a new kitty friend that will bring her great joy.

©2013 Robin A.F. Olson. Bunny often sat on a shelf on the bookcase near the door. She liked to greet me when I entered the room.

From dumped in a parking lot in Georgia to a loving home in Boston—not a bad end for this cat’s rescue tale.

Update: Bunny was delivered to her new mama last night and I've already heard that Bunny was ready for pets and play time not long after she arrived in her new home. I feared she would begin her new life by hiding under the bed, but she just enjoyed getting to know her new family. Go, Bunny! Hurray!