Kitten

These are my babies-the cats and kittens I've “busted out” of Henry County in McDonough, GA-home to 90% euthanasia rates. These cats are on their way to having their first Christmas out of a cage, no longer facing certain death.

I've got transport lined up. The cats are in a boarding facility, in two week quarantine until they can be cleared to leave for Connecticut. The last piece of this phase of their rescue is to raise funds to cover their needs until they arrive. Some will be spayed or neutered. All will get their combo tests, first FVRCP shot, de-wormed and de-flea'd. Their boarding is $5/day; some are boarded for more than 2 weeks due to transport run timing. The costs are listed below.

I realize that asking to raise $925 is asking alot-which is why...

FOR EVERY DOLLAR YOU DONATE, I WILL MATCH IT UNTIL WE HIT OUR GOAL OF $925. THIS MEANS I AM PLEDGING ABOUT $463.

THANK YOU for your help. I know these babies would not stand a chance at life, let alone a Happy Holiday without ALL of OUR EFFORTS! We've had a GREAT YEAR together! I'm SO PROUD of ALL OF YOU for doing SO MUCH to help cats in need! Let's end the year with JOY, knowing that although we can't save them all (yet!), we can save some. Thank you for being part of my Team and sharing my passion.

Thank you to Barb Lowe & Susan Birnbaum at Winging Cat Rescue for making this rescue possible!

This sweet little fella wasn't doing so well when I picked him up from our Director a few days ago. Two young boys found him in a dumpster, filthy and starving. I was scared he'd die before I even got him to the Vet (which I admit to driving a weeeee bit over the speed limit to get him there quick).

Cheech needed a lot of care, so he stayed at the Vet for the weekend. We were all worried that the call would come in saying he'd passed away.

But Cheech is a plucky little kitten and after a bath, some fluids, antibiotics, good food and some rest, he started to perk up.

Cheech got to hang out with Kringle, the last kitten from GA to get adopted. Their friendship was short lived. Kringle went to her forever home today. Her adopter's daughter got Kringle for her birthday gift. When she realized she could take the kitten home she screamed aloud; “I gotta kitty! I gotta kitty! I gotta kitty!”

I feel badly that Cheech is alone. My efforts to pull a dozen (the Twelve Cats of Christmas!) have failed. I've rescued NINE cats so far, but the remaining three...well I don't have a GA Rescue license and sadly, things are too busy with other rescues to add mine to the mix. I am determined to take more on as soon as I can.

Meanwhile, Cheech will enjoy the comforts of a warm room and enjoy driving me crazy by finding a way to get behind the TV, which requires me to take way too many things out of the way to get at him. I've blocked off the access, but I swear he can slip through objects to hide. I'm annoyed I've been outsmarted by a KITTEN!

Chee-chee is a cutie pants, so he has that going for him. That and the biggest, roundest belly I have ever seen. He's been de-wormed. Hopefully it's nothing more than that. I need to get this boy healthy and relaxed and ready for his forever home! I think he's well on his way.

P.S. I did NOT retouch his eye color! Yes, they ARE amazing!

My dearest friends and supporters. In August I began “busting out” cats and kittens from Kill Shelters in Georgia and South Carolina. Each time I've done it, I've worried that I've taken on more than I can handle and each time things work out, although there have been PLENTY of bumps along the way.

Kringle (below), Nino (top center), Nina (center), and Mayflower (right), four of the nine kittens I rescued over Thanksgiving. Kringle is the only one waiting to find her forever home. The rest are all adopted and with their families.

With the Holiday Season in full swing, my mind and efforts should be focused on preparing for Christmas, but I cannot. I cannot sit around while I know that 90% of the cats in one shelter don't make it out alive.

I've decided to do ONE, BIG, PUSH to pull more cats and kittens than I ever have before.

I'm going to have a very long, elegant neck from sticking it out so damn far.

I hope to “BUST OUT” at least TWELVE cats. Five are already in quarantine awaiting transport and four more joined them, today. Tomorrow, I hope to get the last three.

I hope you're with me on this, guys, because I'm not going to be able to do it without some help! Talking about money is uncouth, so I'll leave it for now, until we're ready to go with fundraising. In the meantime, if you wouldn't mind digging around in your sofa cushions for any loose change, you can set it aside for the newly rescued kitties. I would be very grateful and I know they would be, too.

Although I'm still foggy after a VERY LONG WEEK, I have to shout out that yesterday's adoption event was our BEST EVER! Yes, we're a small group, but sheeeeeet we did great! 10 out of 11 cats are either ADOPTED or have an ADOPTION APPLICATION on them that needs to be processed. With any luck, those cats will be in their new homes in a few more days!

IN JUST OVER A WEEK ALL THE KITTENS HAVE FOUND HOMES-PLUS 4 ADULTS, PLUS TWO 16 WEEK OLD KITTENS WHO WERE RETURNED TO OUR PROGRAM (COMPLETELY OUT OF THE BLUE) WERE ADOPTED BACK OUT IN 5 HOURS!!!!!

Yeah, I'm PUMPED UP! And geez. I'm realizing I won't have any kittens for a few weeks! How will I stand the loneliness?

Oh. I know! I'm gonna BUST out MORE KITTENS from that nasty-ass KILL shelter in GA! HA! HA! HA! HA! Yes I am insane! Plans are in the works for another BUST-OUT announcement! Hopefully, it will go smoothly, but Monday is “euthanasia day” and while I'm glad there's no Hallmark card for that, I'd like it if there was one for BUSTING THEM OUT day!

STAY TUNED!

Looks like the Crazy Cat Clan is being disbanded barely a week after it was formed! Can we believe our eyes? Is it really true?

Believe it! These little nutters are going to good homes soon. Gingerbread, Nino & Nina are going home TOGETHER! A triple-adoption! Woohooooo! Jingle Belle will go to a home who has a 1 year old kitty who needs a buddy.

Saturday we have an Adoption Event, so hopefully we will continue to find homes for the kitties!

Next...I need to find homes for two kitties I found homes for in October. They were returned today because there was too much fear that the family's pit-mix was going to harm the animals. So...two more to find a home for and more on that later...

Seven Vet trips in six days, barfing, mooshy poop, stench, worms shooting out of one kitten's butt-yeah, I'm ready for MORE, baby! Bring it!

Now that the Crazy Kitten Clan is almost done being spayed or neutered and we're getting applications in on some of the kittens, I started to feel a bit “itchy.” Who was I going to take in next?

There are a few kittens in the periphery and a cat, but with some juggling, hopefully it will work out if I decide to, umm, err...rescue a few more cats? Come on! I need my FIX!

Why go shopping out of a drab Holiday guide when you can save a life out of a “cat-”a-log. Sorry for the PUN! What a thrill, in a way of course (I can't save many or all), but a thrill to just take in a deep breath and say; “YES! Pull those guys out of that shelter. I have NO idea if I will find them homes or find out they are sick or have behavior problems. I just NEED to do this and it seems to get a bit easier every time I do it.

This MORNING I got an email from Betsy at Henry County-YES, the same place that euthanized three sweet kittens I was about to rescue. Who would it serve if I just cut them off and never helped them again?

Then I saw this:

Go ahead. YOU SAY NO TO THOSE FACES! I DARE YOU!

...and read this: Mommy is just as loving and sweet as she can be and will have little chance to get out once the kits are pulled from her. The babies are weaning now and are ready to go to the kitten room.

She has 4 beautiful babies, the family is in an isolated area for nursing moms and everyone is healthy.

This family needs to be rescued from the shelter THIS WEEK. Friday December 4th they will be split up and mom most likely will not make it out once she goes the adoption room. IF the room is full she might be euthanized since she is past her ready date.

Mama. I am not gonna let you down!

I contacted my lifeline to GA Shelters, Barb Lowe and Winging Cat Rescue and asked her if she could help me. Barb is ALWAYS busy pulling cats from shelters and always has a lot on her plate. Did Barb put me off? HELL NO! Barb made a call. A few minutes later...

THAT WAS EASY! WOO!

Everyone is SAFE and OUT OF HENRY COUNTY! Mama had her combo test. Negative/Negative: the words we love to hear!

Next up...FUNDRAISING to get their Vet bill paid and transport to Connecticut! Get your wallet 'cause I'm gonna be asking you to pull a few bucks out it!

Hey! I'm doing the hard work and taking the risk. I just want your CASH!

Will let you know when fundraising ChipIn Widget goes live!

Apparently, some people would pay big bucks to get their hands on a fertile tri-colored male kitten! Unfortunately, that was never a thought that crossed our minds when our Vet called yesterday to tell us our little foster kitten was a very rare find. We've got “Spay/Neuter” so deeply ingrained in our noggins that there was no way we'd allow this guy to stay intact!

That said...hmmm...guess we could have waited a bit longer to think about that! We DO need funds to build a shelter, you know!

Doesn't matter now. The “deed” has been done. Gingerbread is ready to go to his forever home and tomorrow afternoon someone is coming to visit him! Will it be his turn to get adopted or should I put him on Ebay? (KIDDING!) He's a sweet little fella. I just pried him off my lap so I could post this.

Sweet dreams, little guy. Tomorrow is gonna be a big day!

This is my foster baby, Gingerbread.

Yesterday, she went to our Vet to be spayed.

Although a Vet and a Vet Tech in GA gave her an exam and wrote up a Health Certificate for transport, they missed something about this cute little Calico.

SHE'S A HE!

Apparently, our Vet was, to say the least, a bit surprised when he was about to perform the spay and noticed Gingerbread was a boy. The odds of tri-colored cat being a male are 1:7,000,000!!!

Looks like my dreams of winning the Lottery were a bit off target, but heck, I'll take it!

They're HERE!!!!!!!!!

If any of you have been paying attention, you might notice that I was going to get TEN kittens from Jasper Co. “Myles Standish” got adopted while he was still in Georgia and so did a few others! Karen Bryant, the ACO at Jasper offered to give me a few other kittens to fill up the transport.

Our “bonus” kittens are: Mistletoe, a knockout Tortie and Figgy Puddin' who we also call, “Wonder Woman” because she's got big personality in a teenie tiny body. Her tail is stubby and always sticking straight up. She can kick any kitten's ass, even if she barely weighs two pounds and is the smallest of the bunch.

I'm working on answering a gillion emails from potential adopters, scheduling adopter visits and adoptions, preparing for our Adoption Event on Saturday and doing Vet runs EVERY DAY from Monday through Saturday of this week. It's BRUTAL, but it's for kittens, so I gotta do it.

This is why I haven't been writing much! In fact, I need to get upstairs and feed the kittens. Will try to catch everyone up on more crazy crap as soon as I can.

And for those of you who donated money to get these kittens transported and vetted, know that they are all doing well and ruining my life! I mean, are doing well and having an GREAT time enjoying cage free life!

Barely 10 days ago, Will, who was hit by a car arrived and went to his new family the next day. Joining him on the transport to CT were two little girls; Pip and Purrsimmon. When I first saw them I was pop-eyed by how beautiful they were!

Not related, these girls were born just a week apart. They both have stunning markings, a soft coat and a sweet personality to match. It was going to be tough to let these two out of my hands!

They came to be in the care of our friend, Dr. Anderson of the Cat Clinic of Greenville, SC. Purrsimmon was in bad shape when she was found in the parking lot of Walmart. She was covered with fleas, had conjuctivitis, and a URI. Dr. Anderson did a lot to get her stabilized and over two weeks, little “Purr” grew stronger and healthier. By the time she got to my home in CT, she was doing well.

Pip was in even worse shape. She was found by a good samaritan, who found her by a dumpster, alone, just like Purrsimmon. The nice lady took her to a Vet and got her care right away, but could not keep her and Dr. Anderson stepped up to help out. Poor Pip was so badly flea infested that she was anemic and weak. At barely a pound and a low body temperature, it was surely touch and go for Pip for quite awhile.

As you can see, both girls look great and healthy. Once the girls we posted on Petfinder it was mere hours before we had applications pouring in for both kittens. Two lucky families stepped up and gave each girl a home.

Before Pip could leave, she was due for an FVRCP shot (distemper combo.) so I got her to visit Dr Larry. I couldn't read Dr. Anderson's notes and they translated them for me. It was there, we found out that, indeed, Pip did NOT need any shots, so Dr. Larry spent a few minutes examining her to make sure she was all right. His diagnosis: Insufferable Cuteness!

Purrsimmon will be the only kitty in her new home and will be given the royal treatment by her adoring new Mama, Caitlin and Caitlin's family. Pip is going home today! Right now she's in my office as I write this, so she doesn't have to spend the day alone.

Pip's parents are determined that they will TOILET train her!!!! Her new dad, says he's done this before and her new mom is already filling the house with new toys and a bed for her little “princess” who she coo's and ooo's over every time she sees her!

I wish I could have spent more time with these special ladies, but with the arrival of the Crazy Clan (9 kittens from Georgia) on Friday, I've had little time for much of anything! More on that shortly!