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This morning I woke up, checked my email. It was bad news. No one was able to save the Little Blue Babies from Henry Co. I really thought all hope was lost unless I could find a Vet Tech or a VERY experienced foster mom to take the Blue Babies into foster care. They were getting sick, thin, not sure why, maybe just a simple thing, maybe something bad. Whatever the reason, they would NOT make it beyond tomorrow morning, that is clear. Henry is closed today, but tomorrow they are back in the business of putting down the animals who fall ill.

I stood in my bathroom, brushing my teeth, crying. I cried a lot. I went back to working the email and phones. I actually found a GREAT possible foster Mama with lots of experience with kitties. I had a Rescue step up to offer to give them a home after their quarantine time in Georgia was done.

The post that will never come to be...

Then the emails started coming in. Barb Lowe, who must have a very powerful magic wand and the steely guts of a warrior, did what I could not do. She found a way to get the pieces put together to rescue the little blue kittens-even though we KNOW they are NOT WELL and we are NOT SURE why they have become thin. I'm sure Barb's team will get that sorted out. I just sit on the sidelines and offer to help. She just picks up the phones and makes it all happen in ways I only hope to be able to do one day.

So it IS confirmed from Betsy at Henry Co. Just as the kittens had less than ONE DAY LEFT TO LIVE...they are OUT OF THERE FOR GOOD and ON THE ROAD to THE BEST CHANCE THEY HAVE TO LIVE A WONDERFUL LIFE!!!!

I AM SOFA-KING HAPPY (as they say in "france")!!! I think everyone who does rescue in Georgia knows about these kittens in need. Hopefully all of them will find out that they are SAFE!!!

Oh yeah and no big deal but Betsy told us a beautiful Mama and 4 kittens just arrived-all Blue, too. Could we save them? I guess Barb has a huge heart and a warehouse of foster homes or something because THIS MAMA and the babies are ALREADY OUT AND SAFE, TOO! OUT BEFORE THEY CAN ALL GET SICK!!!!!

Way to go, Barb and WCR. You never cease to blow our minds with what you can do.

If you feel as happy and grateful as I do, why not pop over to WCR and make a donation to any of her kitty fundraiser widgets? It's the least we can do to honor someone with magical powers. Maybe she will let me borrow them one day?

Thank you to everyone for their support and good wishes and offers to help. At last, the one thing that is NOT blue after all of this is us. I'd say we must be in the pink!

Four Vet visits...lots of meds...lots of fussing, worrying, praying...we find our little wards comfortably asleep. A good sign, hopefully, of better days to come.

Get some rest, babies. Grow. Conquer this URI. Be well!

Five blue babies are sitting on death row. They've already been waiting over a week for a rescue. Each day that ticks by, is one day less they have to live. I hate pulling the “death card” on these babies, but their lives ARE at stake. It's the grim reality at HCCAC.

©2010 Betsy Merchant. These little ones are in dire need of rescue right NOW.

We don't have many options. I can't take them into my rescue group. Other groups have been contacted. None have responded. What we need to do is find a GEORGIA RESCUE group to come forward and save these babies. If not that, then the kittens need to be adopted. To do that you'd have to go to the shelter directly. No, it's not an easy fix. It never is. The beauty here is: WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE. THAT SOMEONE MAY KNOW SOMEONE ELSE WHO CAN HELP! THINK ABOUT ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. Do any of them live or know folks in Georgia? If we network, we CAN FIND SOMEONE TO HELP THESE CATS.

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST with anyone you think could help or who knows someone who could help. We can DO THIS!

©2010 Betsy Merchant. What a cutie! Who wouldn't want to adopt him/her?

THE KITTENS DO NOT HAVE AN ID NUMBER. THEY ARE BLUE LOBBY CATS. Don't worry, they will know who you are asking after if you contact them.

©2010 Betsy Merchant. Double-Cuteness!!!

THIS IS DIRECTLY FROM OUR CONTACT: BETSY at Henry County. Her contact info and the info of the shelter is below.

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**Please Note; When forwarding, crossposting, or re-posting I ask that you leave this message intact exactly as it was written by me. I do not give permission to post my message, part of my message, or my photographs on Craig's List. Thank you for your help and support, and for respecting my wishes.**

Betsy Merchant~

We are very rescue friendly and are more than happy to work with any rescue group as long as the group has a valid Georgia Department of Agriculture license! Any rescue group, whether in or out of state, that takes pets from Georgia shelters, is required, by Georgia law, to have a rescue license issued by the Georgia Department of Agriculture's Animal Protection Division. Having tax exempt status is not the same as a license. For more information on obtaining a license, please call (404) 656-4914.

Contact:

mystiblu@bellsouth.net

Henry County Animal Care and Control

527 Hampton Street

McDonough, Georgia 30253

(770) 288-7401

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/GA67.html

Our Hours:

Monday-Friday: 9 am-4:30 pm

Saturday: 9 am-1 pm

Sunday: Closed

County Observed Holidays: Closed

The shelter is located at 527 Hampton Street in McDonough. We are located south of Atlanta off I-75. Take exit 218 and head east on 20/81 toward McDonough. Our address is 527 Hwy 20/81 East.

For all other information regarding ordinances, county codes, and other functions of Henry County Animal Care and Control please visit www.hcacc.org

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©2010 Betsy Merchant. They're just waiting to be free again so they can play and love life again. Let's help them!

If you're with a Rescue Group and would like some FREE publicity, I will personally make certain your group gets big kudos for helping these babies out! A good story will also help you with fundraising for these animals. Now it's up to you to help make it a HAPPY ENDING FOR THEM-INSTEAD OF DEATH.

PLEASE SHARE, TWEET, FB, ETC! THANK YOU ALL!

It was a long night, filled with gut wrenching dread. I got a call around dinnertime that Polly was NOT doing well at all. Her eye was sealed shut and worse, she was SCREAMING. Maria called me to give me this urgent update and while we talked, I could hear Polly wailing. It was too late to go to a “regular” Vet. Our only option was to go to a 24hr ER Vet-also know as: “open your wallet and empty it out. Thank you. Now we will provide your animal with care.”

There was no hesitation. Even if it was coming right out of my almost -empty pocket. Get all the kittens and Mama Mazie to the Vet NOW! Maria had just gotten home from work and was faced with a white-knuckle drive to the Vet. I was in a daze. What to do? I didn't want Polly to die!

I realized I had NO IDEA where Maria was going, so I called her back. She said she was just about to call me to ask me to look up the number so she could alert them to her arrival. I offered to do that for her, getting online and quickly finding the Vet. Then Maria got quiet. She is a tough-cookie, but I could hear her choking back tears. She said she didn't think Polly was going to make it. She said she heard there is a “death scream” that kittens make and that's what Polly was probably doing!!!

I felt my gut drop to the floor and my legs got wobbly. I got choked up, but I really wanted to help Maria. I told her to stay strong, that we were doing EVERYTHING we could for these babies. That if we could not save them it would not be because we didn't give them every chance we could. Some times Mother Nature makes the choice for us, but I have to say, I hung up the phone and cried.

Being 1000 miles away, helpless. All I could do was call the Vet, warn them, then follow their rules by scanning my Driver's License and credit cards and emailing them the info so their bill would be paid. It was the least I could do, but thoughts of Princess FiFi danced around in my head. Her care set us back $2000.00. We were able to raise about half of that in donations and Animals in Distress was abel to pick up the rest of the tab, but this was ONE KITTEN and I had THREE, plus their Mama. Oh boy...I did not want to do THAT sort of math.

Maria got there in good time. They took the family in the back and Maria sat in the waiting room while I sat with my phone in my hand, trying to face eating dinner, until I got an update. I didn't feel hungry. I was too sick. I was imagining what was going on. Time ticked by...an hour...then I get a text from Maria. A cat who came in just after she did came back out...in a box. That really set me off. I didn't want to have any of our kittens pass away. The waiting was grueling for both Maria and I. There was nothing we could do but just keep waiting and say a prayer for the poor kitty who didn't make it.

Another hour passed. Nothing. My imagination was running wild. Didn't they always get the money worked out FIRST before they did treatment? Why didn't Maria get an update?

A third hour passed. I was hoping that other animals were in more serious shape and were being cared for while our family was just waiting in the back room. ANOTHER HOUR LATER we found out, that was the case.

Polly had no fever. Though she was uncomfortable in her breathing, there was no “crackle” sound in her lungs. Her brother and sister were afflicted, but not quite as bad. Polly was crying, I'm guessing, because she was so hungry. If she couldn't breathe through her nose, she wouldn't feed off her Mother-how could she breathe? So the Vet fed each kitten and said they were big enough to get some cat food/baby food/milk replacer. This would make it easier for them to eat. Once fed, Polly quieted down. She must have been exhausted, too.

They made a few other suggestions, like running the shower a few times a day so the humidity would help them breathe. Polly gets some sterile saline and eye ointment many times a day. Syringe feed as needed if they don't lap up the food on their own. Monitor, monitor, monitor.

The family was already on antibiotics since they'd just been to the Vet the day before. They felt there was nothing more to be done just now, so Maria packed everyone up and went home. She told me she was going to take the next day off-for which I was very grateful. I would not want to leave those babies alone until they get to a point where they are more stable...KNOCK WOOD...

But this story is not over yet. None of the kittens are in the clear. Some may improve, while others get worse. Because it could easily come to pass that we will need more and more Vet care, I felt it was time to start asking for donations to provide Vet care for Polly and her family, as well as for any cat or kitten in our program. I'm not asking for much, just enough so we have some protection in place, in case we need to get Polly back to the Vet or to see an eye specialist, if it comes to that.

The donations needed go to Kitten Associates, Inc., my rescue group. We're about to become non-profit so your donation will be tax deductible, retroactively. We just need to wrap up our paperwork over the next week.

Last night I posted info on our Facebook page about the kitties. Thank you for your help and for your good wishes and prayers for this very sweet family. It really helped last night. I'm happy to add that Polly got through the night all right and is resting comfortably with her siblings, as Mama Mazie watches over them and Maria keeps them all safe.

I'm in love with the latest family we rescued. Every photo Maria sends me, makes me grow more and more attached. In her own words, she said she wished she could stay home from work and just watch them interact with each other and their mama. I wish I could drive down to Georgia and bring them home with me right now! I can already tell, they'll be tough to give up to anyone. What a beautiful crew we have!

And at last, we have names!

This is a little girl. She looks like she'll be long haired as she's already sportin' a baby-sized ruff. Since she's a bite-sized cutie, I'm going to call her, Cara Melle.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Say hello to Cara Melle!

This is our little man. A show-stopper-orange tabby. Another fluffy feline. His name is: Chester Cheetah

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Say hello to Chester!

This is our second little girl. Her markings are very unusual. Her back is dark and light, like salt & pepper hair or the pattern of a hedgehog! I was going to call her, Sonic, but Maria warned me that was a boy's name. Instead, her name will be: Polly PicklePuss

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Say hello to Polly PicklePuss!

The last name we need is for the kittens mama. I'm told she is 2-3 years old and is very very friendly. She's a great mama and I'm guessing this isn't the first time she's BEEN a mama. Her name will be: Mama Mazie

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Say hello to Mama Mazie!

Ahh..if naming them was the toughest task...I wanted to make sure they have names because they've become sick with an Upper Respiratory Infection. At just three weeks old, the kittens don't have any sort of immune system to protect them.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Cute Cara.

It started with Mama Mazie. Her eyes got watery. She started to sneeze.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Pretty Polly Poses Perfectly.

We all knew it was just a matter of time before the kittens fell ill, too. It was terrible, knowing they didn't have much time. Every feeding not only helped them to survive, but also gave them the URI. How could Mother's Milk be so good, yet so detrimental to their future?

©2010 Maria Sandoval.

If the kittens were even two weeks older, I wouldn't be worrying so much. There's little that we can do. Maria took them all to the vet yesterday and it was decided to put them on antibiotics-which made Mama Mazie get sicker.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Chester before he got sick.

The kittens seemed to be okay for a day or so, but...

©2010 Maria Sandoval.

We knew they would fall ill...and they did.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. A watchful Mama Mazie.

With things like this, if it's a viral cause-there are no drugs. Just rest and good food. To prevent a bacterial complication-antibiotics and eye drops and maybe nose drops. I worry. I flash back to Princess or to my own, Blitzen who cost thousands of dollars in vet care, who had to be force fed, who we feared would pass away...and they were OLDER when they first got sick.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Lunchtime at the Vet.

I hate being 1000 miles away. All I can do is try to figure out a treatment or a supportive ointment or paste. They get lysine and bene bac. I know Maria is doing everything she can, but in the end, it will be up to the mama and the kittens on if they will be able to survive this.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Mama gets sick first.

I wish I could say they will be ok in a week or so, but I don't know. When kittens get to the age of cutting teeth, it's a precarious time. I've been told that they can pass away during this time for no obviousl reason. Add to that they are now sick...well..even more precarious.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. Then Polly gets hit hard.

I've been lucky to have not lost a kitten...KNOCK WOOD...SO FAR, but I know that will not always be the case. I do know that I will do EVERYTHING in my power to help these cats get well. And get well SOON. If they don't respond to the meds and need more Vet care, I'm going to have to start fundraising to make sure we will have enough set aside if the whole family or just all the kittens need supportive care.

We've been down this road before...the not knowing...the fear...the rollercoaster ride. We just have to take a deep breath and find some faith that these babies will make it so they can come to Connecticut in December and so I can KEEP THEM ALL! I mean, so I can find them great forever homes.

Come on, babies. Get better!!!

One thing I really love about writing this Blog is all the great people I get to meet. Some are pen pals from across “the pond” and others I've had the pleasure of meeting in person. These folks have a varied background. Some times their jobs flat out surprise me and leave me in awe.

While I am sworn to secrecy over this person's identity, I can tell you she is a Forensic Graphologist, otherwise known as a Handwriting Analysis Expert. She contacted me last year about analyzing a handwritten note I'd posted on my blog. That lead to me sending her some “exemplars”-samples of handwriting for her to use to practice her craft. She likes to keep fresh and seeing the samples is also fun for her. I sent her mine, Sam's, some friends and family. She told me things that surprised me and shocked me. She was even able to tell me one person I know is “closeted” gay. When I talked to that person, that person indicated she was correct! I had NO idea! And no, I didn't care if the person was gay or not. Sheesh! It was that I had NO idea and the person's handwriting said it all! That was what was so interesting!

To think that the loops and shapes of our letters tell a story all their own is fascinating. With that in mind, months ago, I asked this person to look at the writing samples from a post (rant) I'd written about Koko the cat, who was dumped by her owner. My email fell into her Spam folder and she just found it yesterday! She wrote up her analysis, which I'll share with you, below.

These notes were regarding THIS post.

The gal who wrote the first note is youngish, I would guess early 20s.

I'm sorry to say that I think the writing is a kid's and here's why:

1. I don't think an adult could imitate the weird spacing, which is common for kids who don't have a lifetime of experience writing notes.

2. The "10 mins" he wrote looks childlike--I don't think an adult would know to make the numerals different sizes, like kids do.

3. The word "gob" for "job" isn't a misspelling an adult would use to throw someone off the track. Adults who misspell purposefully wouldn't use a real word in place of another word (homonyms excluded, of course)--they would just switch around a few letters.

4. The placement of the ":" between "from" and "Korey" is also an indication of someone youthful.

[Robin's note: this was the KICKER to me!!!]

The third note writer is definitely aware that they're behaving like an asshole, at least. No connections between letters within words, the personal pronoun "I" is demented and the "f" has a weird, duplicitous loop at the top.

What is wrong with people!!!!!!!!!!!

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The good news is that within a day of my post going live, Elke, one of our readers CALLED ME and offered to adopted KoKo. The next morning, our beloved Bobby, drove Koko to her new home-a few HOURS away

!

Elke reports that Sophie (no more KoKo), is doing very well integrating into her home. There have been NO litterbox accidents..no peeing or pooping other than in her pan. Is Sophie sick? Heck no. She's fine. Not only is she fine, she is well loved and cared for and living a wonderful life with Elke and her family. What started out as a tragedy-in-the-making, turned out to be quite a happy tail and one that I was proud to be part of.

If Sophie could write, I just know her handwriting would certainly indicate that she is happy, confident, friendly...and relived her nightmare is over. I bet she'd dot her “i's” with smiley faces or hearts, too.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Remember when...the first foster kittens of Kitten Associates arrived in early August. From left to right: Sugar Pie, Cinnamon (front), Yodel (rear), Honey B.

Yodel got to me. I admit it. Being here for three months didn't make it any easier. She wasn't getting any applications-even bad ones. I started to wonder if I'd ever find her a home. As things go with adoptions, out of the blue, I got a promising application at last. A woman contacted me. She was, at first, interested in Honey B. Frankly, everyone has been. Her husband had eyes for Yodel. They decided they'd like to come over and see them both...see how it went. Their Vet reference was great. They let their cats outside, though. We talked about that and it was almost a deal-breaker, but after talking for awhile, the woman realized that one of her 3 cats did not like to go outside. Yodel or Honey B. could stay inside, too and keep her company. We talked further and gee, she's the Fire Marshall of a nearby town. I really felt like not only did I trust her, but I really liked her. She assured me if she adopted a kitten from me it would NOT go outdoors.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Yodel loved the Kong Kickaroo.

We discussed everything else like what to feed the kitten, no declawing, etc. All worked out well. On Friday, she and her very-nice-fireman-of-the-Year-Husband came over. I had Honey and Yodel in my bedroom so they'd be more relaxed and not be bothered by the other cats.

It was mid-afternoon and both kittens were sleepy. They looked up at the couple, then basically nodded off! I could see it in their eyes they loved both kittens, but I knew they only could take one. It didn't take long for them to feel that Yodel was the kitten for them.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. My little sweetie.

We filled out the paperwork. I asked them about fire extinguishers and they told me lots of helpful information-like make sure you have an ABC rated extinguisher-which we have on each floor, but they have to be replaced every few years. So we need to do that. They were just really nice, salt-of-the-Earth people. I felt very comfortable letting them take Yodel and in fact, I didn't even cry as she left.

I felt the all too familiar big lump in my throat as I saw her face peek up over the vents in the cat carrier as she was being taken to the couple's car, but I pushed it back down. It was time for Yodel to move on. It had been for a long time. It was only selfish of me to keep her here and now she'd enjoy the company of a few other cats, as well as a Bichon. I was down a kitten, that left me with 15 cats. A start...

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. The always lovely, Honey B.

On Saturday, as you know, The Halloween Express was adopted. An hour later, another couple came over. They had eyes for Honey B. and no other cat. Their Vet reference was glowing. They answered all the right questions. In person they were a bit odd. They both bickered, but when I asked if i needed to break it up, they said that's how they talk and they were just kidding. It's tough to feel people out. I think it's natural to be judgemental, but I reminded myself that I have to be more open-minded. These people had had cats their entire life. They adored their cats and put them as a top priority. They were VERY gentle and easy with Honey, who, a true calico, was a bit wary of the new people. She began to warm up to them and it was clear that they were smitten with this kitten.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Nap time.

After two other almost-adoptions fell through and countless rejected applications, Honey, who should have been adopted over two months ago, finally got her home. The couple drove over an hour to meet her and said they would drive to the ends of the Earth, if that's what it took. The rest is history...the last of my very first litter of Kitten Associates rescued kittens was gone...just THREE MONTHS after they arrived.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Farewell baby-girls. I will miss you very much.

So now we are at just ten cats-from sixteen just hours ago. The unbelievable flood of urine from my own cats has been almost too much to endure. I've done so much to try to calm them down, clean it up, do things to help them cope, but the only thing I really could do, is get the extra cats out of the house. In all honesty, I have been so stressed by the fights and the peeing that I have begun to unravel. Between every day stresses, the cats, the lack of work, the finding work, the blah blah blah, I realized my temper has been whittled down to the quick and I admitted to Sam last night that I am to the point of being afraid of what I might do if things don't improve. I was thinking about going on meds for awhile. Me being upset isn't going to help things in the house, but me being out-of-control and losing my temper is very dangerous. I've never been an easy-going person, at least to the degree I'd like. Even with all the training I've had-learning meditation, taking refuge as a Buddhist-it's a wonderful guide...it's vital for helping me do as well as I have, BUT...it's been a long, stressful few months with barely a break of any sort. I'm not getting burned out, but I admit to feeling a great sense of defeat.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. No room at the Inn.

This morning was the worst. At 6:45am, Bob yeowled. It usually means he wants to be fed NOW. I can't feed him or else I'm training him that his effort worked and he'll do it again. So I went back to bed. Then, he picked a fight with poor Petunia, so I got up. It wasn't enough, so he came upstairs and peed all over. I started cleaning, then Bob puked some foam. Okay...feed him. He wins. While I was cleaning up, I saw Blitzen sniff the wall where Bob had just been. He lifted his tail and was about to pee, too. I almost died. Not Blitzen. Not him, too. I stopped him before he could do anything, but I found pee in 4 places-which is 4 more than usual.

I went into the foster room. It stunk. One of the kittens vomited on the bed (this is after I had just replaced the sheets a few hours before). Then when I grabbed the bag to scoop the litter pan into, the bag was covered with pee, too and it got all over me. I honestly don't know how I didn't have a break down right then and there.

A few hours later, I went to take a shower. The bathroom really stank of pee. I looked all over. Couldn't find it. I found it when I got out of the shower. It was on the bathmat the whole time. I didn't even realize it and Sam had missed it after his shower.

You better know that I must LOVE cats a lot to put up with this and hey, the cats are all still alive (so far!).

I've lost the ability to find humor in this. There is none. This is plain tough, heartbreaking and difficult. Sam and I have some sort of unspoken pact. We get mad at the cats, but not at each other. At least we seem to do ok and Sam is quick to comfort me-even though I can't even relax when he hugs me any more.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Moonpie and Patty. Still waiting to find their forever home.

Today most of the load is off my shoulders. I MUST get Patty and Moonie a home. They are probably the main cause of problems, but hopefully, now that the others are in their new homes, I'll see some positive changes. Already I haven't heard any fighting. The cats are all napping and relaxed. I have to hope that now I can regroup, clean the rooms up and take a break.

©2010 Maria Sandoval. The next fosters. Sweet Mama and her three babies. We need some names for them! Just not “Santa's Team II”!

It's been a long road, but I'm here for the long haul. I've got more babies coming this way, but I have another month before they arrive. I've learned some things-maybe I need to learn about pharmaceuticals next? I really don't know, but I need to find a way. There are many more cats that need help. I can't give up for their sake.

A few days ago there were 16 cats in my home. Adoptions were just non-existant. My first litter of kittens in our Kitten Associates program were STILL not all adopted and they'd been here since early AUGUST. I had to turn down MANY potential adopters for one reason or another. I kept waiting. I tried to have faith it would work out. I decided if I never got an application on Yodel, I wouldn't mind it so much. I've been promising myself one more cat-a long haired tuxedo, one of these days. It wasn't the perfect time, but so what?

©2010 Robin A.F Olson. Candy Corn.

Then reality set in. I would be INSANE to keep ANY more cats at this point. My cats are pooping and peeing all over the house. They're furious. There are too many fosters cats running lose. Pattycake and Moonpie can't find an adopter. They're just too big. I can't confine them to a small bathroom. It was driving them mad. Yodel and Honey B. can't be in their old room because The Halloween Express of four kittens are a bit sniffly. The two groups can't be combined.

©2010 Robin A.F Olson. Candy Corn actin' sassy.

I was just about to pack my bags and run off when a curious thing happened...I got a promising application. I did a Vet check. It was not great. They had taken great care of their dog, but the cat hadn't been vetted since 2008. I was about to write them, off, but I realized I needed to ask why, first. Turns out the adopter had traveled to Europe for business for a long period of time and had asked his father to care for his cat while he was gone. Dad fell in love with the cat and the son felt guilty taking his cat back. This answered the question as to why no Vet reference for the cat.

©2010 Robin A.F Olson. Skittles. Really! I can tell them apart.

We had a good chat. He was VERY interested in feeding his cats a raw diet! He also talked about letting his cats outside, but after a few minutes he realized it was not necessary and he assured me no cat he adopted would be going outside. Yes, he could be giving me lip service, but I felt he was being honest.

©2010 Robin A.F Olson. Three little maniacs all in a row (Skittles is probably crawling up my leg, so he missed being in the shot).

His girlfriend liked Patty and Moonpie and wanted to meet them. They have no animals currently and hope to have a few cats and a dog, eventually. I jumped at the chance to have them meet the crazy cow cats, but he also said he was very interested in the orange tabby cats-Skittles and Candy Corn. I knew Patty and Moonie didn't stand a chance against the 12-week old kittens.

©2010 Robin A.F Olson. Treat.

Yesterday, the couple came over to meet the kitties. They both told me about how they'd had cats for most of their lives. I really had a good feeling about them. They were great with Moonie and Patty but the two cats were "off" and didn't show that well.

Then I opened the door to the foster room and the entire Halloween Express ran towards us. The second the couple entered the room, they were covered with kittens who were purring, pawing for attention, standing on their hind legs and patting one of them on the nose. They wanted to be held, touched, loved. Not one of them was shy. Who wouldn't fall in love with these happy-go-lucky kittens?

©2010 Robin A.F Olson. Trick.

I tried to remind them that any of these kittens would need more attention and care. That Patty and Moonie were ready to go and these kittens still needed more shots (eventually), more de-worming and were still a tiny bit sniffly! They just looked at the kittens and nodded. Whatever I said was going right through them. They were smitten.

I realized it would be wise to give them some time to talk, so I left them with the kittens and went to visit Patty and Moonie. I told them they weren't going to be adopted, but that it was going to be okay. They sat on my bed and looked up at me. It made my heart melt.

As I stood to leave the room, the door opened to the foster room. The couple came out and I asked if they had made a decision. They had. Which two did you want? I figured they would say the orange tabbies, but they surprised me.

They said they would take them ALL.

ALL?

Yes. ALL!

I blurted out; “You're shittin' me!” before I could stop myself. And they said they couldn't imagine being able to chose two of the four and that they were all too lovely and they had the room for four and wanted to give them all a home.

I just stood there with my mouth open.

©2010 Robin A.F Olson. The happy family before they leave for their new home.

They asked me to hold the cats until Monday, when I'll have finished treating them for ear mites (which they don't have but Dr Larry found ONE dead mite in Skittle's ear so we're being careful). I'll bring them to their new home tomorrow. I barely can tell these kittens apart! They've been here just over ONE WEEK and they're ALL ADOPTED!!

I just can't believe it! The Halloween Express zoomed in the door and right back out! Amazing! And to think...they were a few minutes away from being EUTHANIZED for their sniffles! I shudder to imagine...

I've adopted out a mama (Huggy Mama) and her two offspring together, but that was it. I've never adopted four kittens to one family before, but they've both had over 8 cats so I think it will be all right.

We sat down and did the paperwork. My head was spinning. If these kittens were gone in a day, then it would take a big load off me. I started to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe I would have time to get some work done? Maybe I'd STOP flying off the handle every two seconds? Okay, maybe a pig would fly out of my butt, too...hey, I tried.

But an hour later, the adoptions continued. More kitties found a home...part two coming soon!

I have a penetrating love for cats. It cuts me to the core. The sharpness of the love I have for their very form, their “niblet” sized toes, purring-who wouldn't be moved by that sound? Their soft fur and fluffy, wiggly little behind. The rough tickle of their tongue on your face...the little triangle shaped nose. Ear tufts. Toe tufts. Ruff. I just love cats. It almost doesn't even matter what the cat looks like. It's a cat. I will love it. Even if it drives me nuts and makes me want to run away from home and never come back, I will still love them.

Last week I got an email from our friend, Betsy at Henry County. I had to turn my back on it. There was nothing I could do to help this family. I thought someone else would step up to take them, but no one did. A week later, another plea...could someone save these cats before the become ill?

FROM OUR FRIEND BETSY at HENRY COUNTY CARE & CONTROL:

I posted for this great family about a week ago with no replies. I have taken some updated photos, the kits are doing GREAT as you can see, they are fat butterballs. Mama is fabulous and drop dead gorgeous.

PLEASE get them out of here before they become ill. Right this minute there are no other nursing moms in their area, this is the time to get them moved!

PLEASE HELP US SAVE THEIR LIVES!

ID# 10/19-4193 Mama and 3 kits

©2010 HCC&C. This is the Mama and her newborns.

©2010 HCC&C. “I was just born...zzzzz”

©2010 HCC&C. “Here I am a week later! Look at me! I'm a fine specimen of manliness, right?”

I'm not going to post Betsy's entire plea for help. Though I feel lousy and am overloaded, I did the math. The kittens are too young to be moved anywhere near Connecticut right now, but by December, they WILL be ready to go.

©2010 HCC&C. “What's a belly rub and can I get one?”

I did the usual. I contacted Maria, first. Did she have space to take this family. Of course. Maria would put them in her closet if she had to. What she won't do for cats...I really love her for it. I do.

©2010 HCC&C. “You know you love me. Admit it.”

I emailed Bobby. Can you pick the cats up? Do I have to ask? Of COURSE he will go get them and get them to the Vet for a quick check up. Bobby is a gem. I love him, too.

©2010 HCC&C. The one on the right looks like a guinea pig!

I contacted Carole to see if she could take the Mama in December. I didn't hear back right away. I pondered whether or not to wait. I learned too many times over NOT to wait so I made a choice to take the Mama even if I can't get her placed at AID's no kill facility. In fact, the mama looks a lot like my cat, Squeegee, who passed away seven Novembers ago. This rescue will be in her honor.

©2010 HCC&C. Look at Mama. She's a sweetie. You can just see it on her face.

So...in my overloaded, sick-of-cats, mentally unstable mind, I picked up the phone. I called the folks at Henry Co. The cats were still there. Had no rescue. I said they HAVE a rescue and I will have Bobby get them in the morning.

©2010 HCC&C. Welcome to Kitten Associates, Family. We'll be looking forward to meeting you in a few weeks.

Of course nothing is THAT easy. Mama has to have a neg/neg on her "snap test" and after that hurdle, we just let the kittens get bigger and let mama get some rest outside of the confines of a cage. They will be here the week before Christmas, or maybe a bit sooner. I can't move them when they are too little so we will wait a bit. They'll be here in time to do what I hoped to do last year-have kittens for adoption just before Christmas. Will this be another “Santa's Team” nightmare of sick cats for 3 months? Guess we will find out.

'Cause thsee guys ARE RESCUED and coming to Connecticut!

It's tough to write. Actually, it's tough to do ANYTHING with 12 cats running loose in my house, plus four sick cats in the foster room who I have to make sure don't cover me in contagion every time I enter their domain.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. The Halloween Express is stuck at the URI-Station!

Between the complicated feeding parade, breaking up fights, cleaning up urine marking, plopped poops and just the plain ol' litter pan scooping, I've lost hours every day. That doesn't even include play time-a must for these INSANE BEASTS and lovey dovey time, which, for my own cats has been whittled down to the bare minimum. I'm so out of touch with my own cats, it scares me. Sam has drifted into making sure they get fed, the raw food gets mixed up (I order and pay for it), while I do my shift feeding the fosters in three different locations, making sure they're all locked in their rooms during feeding time so I can monitor that everyone is eating enough.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Pattycake and Blitzen share some snuggle time.

This is not what I had in mind. I had a room, ONE ROOM, not ALL MY AVAILABLE ROOMS set aside for cat care, with one room as a flex room-in case I had to separate out a cat or two. It's funny, though. I realized that if I just had four fosters in one room, plus my eight cats, that it would be a BREEZE! You get to a point where the “nubs” wear off and you can handle more and more. That said. I do not want to handle this many again. I am more than max'd out.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Meanwhile, Yodel is passed out on my bed.

Even as I sit here, I had two fosters battling for space in my lap, Blitzen and Spencer and Honey B all in my tiny office. Then they started fighting-no surprise and to save face (literally) I had to scoot them out the door for my own safety. Now they're ripping up some paper and a cardboard box. There is rarely ever a silent moment now. I have to get up every two seconds to break up fights-that's the worst.

Yet, I was ready to take in another foster cat two days ago! Thankfully, the little cutie--pie at Henry, got a rescue before I had to step in. In for a dime, in for a dollar, at this point.

There is a glimmer (of something, not sure if it's hope or just a bug in my eye) on the horizon! Maybe. Just MAYBE, I MAY have not one, but TWO potential adopters lined up. I don't want to jinx anything, so I'm not going to say much at this point. Just...maybe I will be down a few cats before the weekend is over. I sure hope so. I just spent $240.00 out of my own pocket on cat food (and that was with a HUGE discount). Yes, fundraising for Kitten Associates will be starting soon! We just saw our CPA and he helped us get a form done that was standing in the way of us getting our non-profit status. We are "this" close to being the real deal (Okay, we're incorporated, so that is a cool start!).

Since I may have only two more seconds to write before the next fight, I wanted to do some updates.

PRINCESS FIFI

©2010 Robin A.F Olson. Princess FiFi barely a month ago.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Princess just the other day-looking lovely!

Well, she is just doing GREAT! Carole, the President of Animals in Distress, brought her to the shelter so we could have a visit. Princess has grown. Her eyes are clear, where they were once full of dark, crusty, discharge. Her mood is light and happy, instead of limp and barely alive. She likes the other cats and [sorry, had to take a break, again to get Honey off my BOOKSHELVES-knocking everything onto the floor-great. Oh wait..I had to yell NO about 10 more times. I swear I start and end my day yelling!]

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. I love the markings near her front paws.

Oh yeah, and Princess MAY have found her forever home. Oops. It's sort of been there all along. Carole, who has been doing cat rescue for almost 20 years, is moving soon. She's taking her two Persian cats with her and vowing NOT to take Princess along for the ride. BUT...Princess LOVES her cats and they love her. Princess “uses her paws like little hands (you have to squeal when you say this, as Carole did)!” Carole is still in denial, but she's turned down a lot of adopters. I think she's fostered Princess FiFi long enough. Time to make it formal and adopt her.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Sitting by the door to the Shelter. Waiting for her forever family...or is the wait over?

ROCCO

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Ryan preps Rocco for his belly-rub-a-thon.

I love Rocco. I just do. He's a big guy. He got a raw deal-getting dumped by his crappy family who just didn't want him any more. I had a chance to visit him a few days ago. I brought my nephew, Ryan, whose mother is kinda-sorta-mulling-over the thought of MAYBE adopting Rocco. She has the brothers of our cats, Nick and Nora. All four of these “cameo” short haired cats are GIAGANTIC and they love belly rubs and they are just sweet sweet cats. Sounds a lot like Roc.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. He's not fat. He's TALL!

Part of the goal of my visit was to get good photos of Rocco so I could post his ad on Petfinder. Carole told me he shut his eyes every time she took a photo. I figured I'd shoot without a flash and see if I could get anything.

Ryan and I tried to get a good shot. We jiggled toys, gave him catip, offered treats. He didn't react to much of anything. In fact, I started to think that Rocco is deaf. Carole bent down, looked at him, called his name and clapped. When he saw her clapping, he perked up and ran over to her. I think he knew the gesture, not the sound. We didn't get to the bottom of his hearing issues, but it was very sad to think that maybe that was why he was starting to become shy of the other cats at the shelter.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Don't open your eyes to make our job easier. Okay, great. Hold it!

Even with all that, he would still come over to me, throw himself against my leg and want some belly action (which I happily gave him). In the end we got some OKAY photos, but nothing that really showed off his pretty green eyes. He's a big, probably older, fella. He got kicked to the curb and maybe he's not a fancy, spring chicken, but he's still got some miles left and hasn't forgotten how to love.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Really, don't open your eyes. It will ruin the photo and no one will want to adopt you.

Rocco is HERE on Petfinder, in case you know anyone in the area of Connecticut, who might like to give this boy a home. I'm not going to post Princess's ad. I don't want to waste your time! (Carole, please don't kick my ass for saying that!). (Carole scares me a little bit, but don't tell her that.) Oh and here's one more ad for Chance, a kitty A.I.D rescued after she lost her litter of kittens. She's not even a year old and is a very pretty medium-haired tortie.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Ooo! You opened them! Quick, take the photo..okay yes I did photoshop his eyes a tiny big, but they ARE that color! I swearzzz!

Time to feed the cats and scoop some pans. It was nice writing for awhile. Maybe I'll be allowed to do it again one day. Oh and for the record, I am REALLY going to MISS the cats who might be getting adopted...yes, after all my complaining...I'm going to probably have a good cry after they leave, but I'm not gonna say if they will be tears of sadness or tears of JOY!