Needs a Home

Maria is full up with foster cats and kittens. Even though I know that, it weighed heavily on me that there were three orange kittens and one little black one that I could possibly help. Adoptions are going too slowly and I'm worried that because I don't have everything in place to advertise my available cats that if I DID greenlight getting more kittens, that I wouldn't have room for them by the time they arrived in two to three weeks.

I emailed a few folks about possibly helping with fostering. Everyone is busy, but a few said they COULD help me out. I did not want to drag my feet so I decided to go for it.

I found out early on that the two smallest kittens had been put down. URIs are rampant. At the first sign of a sneeze, they put them down. I f-ing HATE IT, but that's the rules. I'm not going to show their photo. I know it makes you guys cry. It sure made me do the same thing.

I didn't want to take just two since I should have room for more when they would arrive. I should take as many as I can get. The two kittens are 12 weeks old and by the time they get there, 14 or more. It's harder to get them adopted than small kittens, but I can get them spayed/neutered in GA and have them ready to go when they arrive-instead of waiting a week-or in the case of my last batch of kittens, over a MONTH for the S/N to happen here in CT. Then I was faced with if I didn't take those two cats that they would probably die...and could I live with that?

You look at their faces and tell me you can say no to them.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. “SAVE ME!!!!”

Another round of calls and emails. Betsy emailed me at 3:30 and said that the two orange kittens were sneezing and were going to be put down...in about 30 minutes. They had two siblings who were OK so far. If I wanted to help them, I need to decide.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. “SAVE US!!!!”

My hands started to shake. Now I had four kittens to rescue. My stupid iPhone was going too slow. I needed to call Maria, Bobby and Betsy as fast as I could. If we could juggle some things around it could work. I called Betsy and this time she was at the shelter. Over barking and other people talking and shouting I was able to get Betsy to GET THE KITTENS PUT ON RESCUE HOLD and NOT PUT THEM DOWN!

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. “SAVE US, TOO!!!!”

Betsy said if not tonight, they would be put down in the morning. I told her I had Bobby coming over in 15 MINUTES to pick them up and to get them ready to go!!!!! I was at my wit's end. I didn't even know what the two siblings looked like so Betsy read off their ID numbers to me so I could see them on Petfinder. As I started to look at the listing, I noticed there were a few siamese mix kittens there, too. SHIT! I couldn't take them! What I really want to do is EMPTY THE PLACE OUT! I just got 6 cats out of there yesterday and 4 more today! I honestly don't know how other folks do this all the time. The stress is not good. The life and death choices are worse.

So...at least these four kittens are safe.

Bobby picked them up and has taken them to the Vet. I could hear them "singing," as Bobby called it, while we talked on the phone. I said they were screaming “THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE!”...which couldn't have been more true and couldn't have come at a better time.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. Meet Trick (left) and Treat (right)

Welcome to Kitten Associates, little ones!

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. and Jacques O'Lantern. (left) and Candy Corn (right)

As for me, I'm having a “ho boy, what have I done?” moment, but it won't last. As soon as I see their little faces and hear their purrs for the first time, I'll just be happy that I could help a few more escape death's cold embrace.

There's nothing particularly special about a big, red tabby cat who sits in the lobby of Henry County Care & Control. His days of being a cute kitten are years behind him. He was surrendered by his family. They didn't want him any more. We don't know why. We just know they left him in this cage that's barely big enough to hold him.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. He doesn't know what he did to deserve being in cage, but Big Red hopes to get out.

He's flanked by two other big tabby cats, from other families that gave up on them, too. They all just sit there, waiting to die. The odds of them being rescued are about nil.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control.

I want a magic wand. I would wave it over everyone and, first, of course, get them to SPAY & NEUTER their dogs and cats. Next, whatever cat was stuck in a cage at a kill shelter, I would transport them into a new home-one that would love them and care for them and never give up on them. Lastly, I would make Animal Shelter and Rescues not necessary. With no overpopulation problems and no surrendering of animals, we would be able to spend our lives simply loving our pets, with never a tear shed over an animal being euthanized due to space issues or curable illness.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control.

But I don't have that power, nor do I have the ability to rescue adult cats. Fostering from my home, not a shelter that has visiting hours, makes it impossible to place adults. I know I need help with this. I need a shelter that won't kill this boy, who can take him for me. I need a friend...but who can I ask?

©2010 Henry County Care & Control.

Call it being annoying or call it calling in a favor, but I sucked it up and nagged Carole at A.I.D. to take this cat. He's declawed and neutered. He's very affectionate, too. He could get a home here in Connecticut AND A.I.D just had quite a few adoptions so I know they have space!

I didn't get an answer right away. I had to wait a few days. I spoke with Carole, who told me she didn't want any more males at the shelter right now and listed all sorts of reasons not to take him, but I had just done her a bunch of big favors, including raising almost $900 for Princess's vet bill, so heck, she caved in and said YES. I hope Carole's not mad at me, but honestly, it's about the cat. He's just a big, red goofhead. He needs OUT of that place.

Before Carole could change her mind, I contacted Betsy and gave her the approval to get this boy out. Needless to say, she was thrilled and surprised. The other two cats are still hoping for a miracle.

©2010 Henry County Care & Control. Every cat deserves a name. Meet: ROCCO!

As of this writing, this big cat who tips the scales at 20 lbs...and he is BIG, not really FAT, is safe. His snap test was negative/negative and he got his shots. He meowed and yeoweled in the car and at the Vet. He hates being in the cat carrier and he didn't like getting all those shots.

If he only knew he was being rescued, he might have simply relaxed and enjoyed the ride. I'm guessing he is going to be a handful on transport day, but we have two weeks to wait on that and by then he may not care where he goes, as long as he NEVER goes back to Henry County Care & Control again.

I can't say what it is that made me go to bat for this cat. Perhaps it was that he was nothing special that made him so very special, after all.

Last week, I learned a painful lesson. I waited a few hours too long to say, “YES” to rescuing some kittens from Henry County Care & Control. By the time I called, they had been euthanized. Some of them started to show signs of upper respiratory-something we could have easily managed in foster care, but the rules of the shelter are not forgiving.

I cried a lot that day and the images of those kittens are etched in my heart, forever. Though guilt weighs heavily upon me, it does not stop my need to try again.

Over the weekend, I found out about the kittens you see, below. There are two sets of two-really one litter of four in two cages. Each one sweeter than the last. I knew it would be tricky for me to take them since my fosters haven't all be adopted yet, but I was set on doing just that. I started the work trying to put all the puzzle pieces together. Could Maria foster? Yes. Could Bobby transport them to the Vet and get them from HCCAC for me? Yes. How much would this cost? I need to do a fundraiser.

©2010 Henry Care & Control.

Then, another rescue group in New York stepped up to offer to take two of the kittens-the cute lynx point/siamese mixes. Another group said they would take the other two. Fundraising didn't need to be done, but they didn't have a foster home or a way to get the kittens out of HCCAC. So I contacted Betsy at HCCAC and told her about my weird plan. My group pulls the cats, they get funded by another, they get transported to New York and ultimately get fostered and homed by another group! It's nutty, but who cares? Will I miss having them here, YES, but...they will be alive. That's what counts.

Crazy little details sorted. Directions, confirmations and approvals given, I made the call yesterday morning to confirm rescuing the kittens. My heart was racing. I hoped I hadn't waited too long (again). Betsy was out and they asked me to leave a message. I started to panic. I gave them the ID numbers of the kittens and said that I would be happy to take them and to NOT PUT THEM DOWN. I waited.

©2010 Henry Care & Control.

I waited an hour. I didn't want to be a pest. I hate to be annoying, but I was freaking out! I emailed Betsy. I waited. I finally called HCCAC again and she was still out so I asked if there was someone else I could speak with and a gentleman got on the phone and told me they cats were still "available" and that not to worry. Betsy would call back.

©2010 Henry Care & Control.

So. I worried.

A little while later my phone rang. It was Gerri Yoder, the Director at Henry County Care & Control. She told me that Betsy had contacted her and asked her to call me! That not-to-worry, the kittens were safe and they would hold them until we could pick them up the next day. She gave me her direct phone number at the shelter AND her cellphone number. I never have to worry that I can't reach someone who can help me help the kittens.

I stopped worrying. As soon as I started to relax, Gerri told me it was a good thing the kittens were getting a rescue. They had starting to sneeze-showing signs of getting URIs. Then, it hit me. If I had waited another second, they would have been put down. It was by a whisker that these kittens were saved. I wanted to throw up.

A little over an hour ago, these little babies were not only busted out and rescued, but they have already been to the vet and are on their way to Maria's house to be fostered for the next two weeks. They are just six weeks old.

©2010 Henry Care & Control.

Two have the sniffles, but nothing too bad just now. Bed rest and good food will help them feel better soon. They are out, just in the nick of time...and now they have their whole lives ahead of them, instead of few hours left to live.

©2010 Henry Care & Control.

Welcome to life outside death row, babies. Welcome! Oh and we have a few more kitties to welcome, too. When you rescue four, you just can't stop there, can you? Heck no!

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Princess, two weeks ago.

Two weeks ago, little Princess Fifi clung to life, battling a serious Upper Respiratory Infection. Luckily she did NOT have Feline Leukemia or FIP or so many other diseases that can take the life of a severely underweight kitten.

How Princess found her way into the garage of the Williams family, we will never know. If she had any surviving siblings or parent, we will never know. We DO know that the Williams' found her and got her some help from Animals in Distress and Kitten Associates.

Fortunately, I had the good sense to know Princess was not doing well in time to get her help before she started to have seizures. With a temperature of over 106°F, almost 107°F, she didn't have much time.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Princess, a few days ago!

Thankfully between our two rescue organizations and with the thanks of SO MANY OF YOU who generously donated to her medical fund, we raised $890.00. It will go a long way to help pay her $1700.00 medical bill. Princess recovered enough to leave the hospital and over the first 10 days in foster care, she slowly began to eat and show signs of wanting to play.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson

Sam and I went to visit her and couldn't believe our eyes. This kitten was playing and making friends with the two adult kitties who live with her foster mom, Carole. She has lots of room to run around and play and lots of toys and good food to eat.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. If you're happy hold your tail up high!

Instead of having a big snuggle session with her, we simply watched her play. She has LOADS of energy now and is inquisitive and happy. She is confident and fearless. What a survivor!

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Or just raise your paw!

Princess Fifi had obviously gained some weight and grown a bit taller. This was the robust looking kitten I had hoped to first see the day I met her. I just couldn't get over how GOOD she looked.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. The little hunter.

With boundless energy, Princess ran around the room. There was no sigh of her illness and she was just about done taking her medication. Now she just needed a home.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson.

I was getting ready to post this when I heard that Princess was adopted! I'm not sure if the adoption is going through, since a few things have changed over the past 24 hours. Even if this adoption doesn't work out, it's clear that Princess Fifi has survived her near-death experience and will easily find a forever home as soon as she's ready to go.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. What a crazy upside-down world!

Although a lot of money was spent on her care, seeing Princess thriving was priceless. I wasn't sure she would make it. In fact I tried to prepare myself for the worst. It's a delicate balance between life and death. Fortunately for Princess and all of us, the scales tipped in her favor.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Princess among the pillows. All comfy and happy in her foster home.

Big O (“O” for Orange, not you-know-what!) is in da house!

This poor boy was rescued from HELL by a good samaritan named Mary Jo. The SAME Mary Jo who also rescued and is still rehabilitating Hope, the little kitten who was gored by some creepy person, using a fish hook. Mary Jo could not stand by when she heard about a big orange cat who got dumped after his owner got dementia and whose son did not want to care for her AND her cat. Poor Big O. You can read more about his backstory HERE.

Connie, my friend and benefactor of all things cat food related, saw Big O's story and fell in love with him. After suffering the loss of her own dear boy, Lion King, who was also a big orange boy, she decided to rescue another cat in his honor. Without ever meeting this kitty, she just decided to go for it-figuring she would find a way to make it work.

Two weeks ago, Connie and I jumped into her car, which has a bag of carrots in the back seat and little bits of hay sprinkled across the cushions (treats for her horsey!). In my car there is cat hair and cat food bits. We headed out to New Jersey to meet Mark, who had just driven up from Georgia with his wife, our CiCH blogger, Izzy and a car load of rescue cats. Okay, so we had a bit of a kerfluffle about finding each other, but it did get sorted out and soon enough we spotted Mark and his car load of cats: Big O, Pauly and Little Maria. I couldn't wait to meet them all and Connie was jumping up and down. We said a quick hello and goodbye to Mark. I didn't like the way Big O looked. He looked a bit limp and I wanted to get his butt to Connie's so we could get him fed and watered.

We put Pauly and Little Maria in the back cargo area. They seemed comfortable and well...and very CUTE. It was like Christmas. You know you have a gift to open and you can't wait for the time to come to see what's inside the box. I wished we could teleport to Connie's house-where everyone was going to stay. After all this time, the fundraising for Little Maria's surgery, the hope Mary Jo could rescue Big O..finally coming to a conclusion. The cats were just about home.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Big O arrives!

We were told that Big O did NOT like to be crated, so I offered him my lap as Connie drove us back to CT. Big O, well, he looks “road hard and put away wet.” He's far too thin for such a big cat. His legs wobble from weakness that we suspect is due to diabetes, but has yet to be proven. Big O liked to chat. Connie would talk to him and he would meow back to her. I asked him if he liked Chicken...silence. I asked again...still silence. I asked if he liked fish..MEOW!

Then Big O went into the back and laid down. He was very quiet during the rest of the trip. I started to panic that he was crashing. I am waaay to overprotective of cats, or paranoid OR, maybe I was right? Fortunately, we got back to Connie's house in good time. She pulled up in the driveway and I heard a “thump” on the roof of the car. Connie said; “Oh, that's just Charlie.” Sure enough, a big orange tabby with white paws walked non-challantly down the windshield, sat on the hood and meowed “Hello.”

Note: Charlie has to be an outdoor cat. Long story...but Connie knows not to let the cats out...just sayin'...

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson.

We got Big O into his OWN room (for now, until he can meet the other kitties). I put down some food, but he didn't like it. Connie hurried downstairs to grab more options. We started with grain free canned, but ended up with Fancy Feast. Hey, a guy needs to eat so we didn't get fussy with him. As Big O ate, we got Pauly and Little Maria settled in THEIR own room! (I hope Connie has a room for me, too! I love her house.)

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Pauly is ready to check out his new digs.

Pauly popped out of the carrier and started checking out the room. He ate, slid under the furniture, looked out the window. He is long and skinny and has the cutest tail with a tiny white tip. He acted as though he had lived there forever.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Little Maria, looking much more plump and healthy, poses for a photo.

Little Maria took a bit longer to investigate the room. She walked with a slight limp, which should go away as she grows. She's a very petite kitten, but you can tell she's a sweetheart, even though she was nervous in her new foster home.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Big O, before his beauty treatment and vet checkup.

I went back to Big O's room and just sat with him. He was chatting and walking around the room. He tried to jump onto the window sill to look out the window, but couldn't manage it. I felt so bad, but had to remind myself that whatever is wrong with him is going to be sorted out in the coming days. In fact, we have Jennifer, our Premiere Diabetes Expert on our side and she will be coming to see Big O in a few days. Big O's already been through the worst part of his life. Now it will only be good times for him as much as we can all provide.

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I had my first Kitten Associates Adoption Event at Animal's In Distress's shelter in Wilton, CT last weekend. Pauly and Little Maria were there, along with my guys. It was HOT in the room, so I begged Sam to drive an hour each way to deliver a fan. The kittens were all confused and within the first few seconds of being crated, Pattycake blew a huge, loose stool all over the brand new cat bed in her cage, which, in turn, filled the room with the stench of wild poo. This is not a good way to welcome the folks who were about to show up to adopt a cat. It also did nothing appetizing for the cider and doughnuts we had placed across from the cages on another table.

Connie grabbed the cat bed and rinsed it off outside while I fretted and sweated and finished getting everything else set up in time.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. It was really HOT in the room and the kitties were all flat and tired.

Then a stream of people came into the shelter. Within the first hour a cat from AID got adopted-who had only been there a few days. Folks came in to look at my kittens, but mostly beelined into the next room to see the cats and enjoy the air conditioning.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Another hour passed and another cat got adopted. This time it was Moose, a big orange Tom who'd been waiting for MONTHS to find a good home. We were all delighted. Meanwhile, my guys just sat there looking glum. We set up the fan and made sure they had water. I offered them a litter pan I rigged up out of a cardboard tray from cat food. Moonie and Patty acted like they wanted to use it but it was far too tiny. I ran into the shelter and borrowed a litter pan. Good thing I did because BOTH cats used it and once again...weeeeeee...another blast of loose, stinky poop! What a way to CLEAR a room! In all the adoption events I've done, the cats have NEVER gone to the bathroom. Apparently, my good luck had “run out.” What could I do? I took a picture. Sue me.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. When I think "Harvest Festival" I think of the smell of POOP.

So I guess this is my way of saying the adoption event didn't go too well for Kitten Associates. We collected about $4 and my clothes stuck to my crevices from sweating for 6 hours. I ate two doughnuts and drank too much cider. My blood sugar was swinging wildly. Who needs illegal drugs when one has sugar? It was getting late and I wanted to pack up and sit in the air conditioned car. I went into the shelter-proper and visited their kitties before I left.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Meanwhile, in the next room, Pauly has a nappy, while waiting for the adopters to show up for the event.

Pauly wasn't feeling at his best. He was struggling with a mild URI.
Little Maria was just a dear, sweet, baby. In a crate to keep her from running around too much on her leg-which is still healing, she sat quietly or watched people pass by. I wanted to tell everyone her story about how her leg had been broken for a MONTH..how she almost was euthanized at a shelter in Georgia, but what would it matter to them?

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Little “Super Cutie” Maria.

Little Maria was already adopted, anyway. We knew it was going to happen but couldn't say anything until everything was ironed out.

Yes, I said ADOPTED!

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson.

Apparently, Connie was madly in love with Little Maria from the first day I posted information about her-and, in fact, was the reason we were able to save her life in the first place. Connie had arranged for a placement for Little Maria at AID and was a big part of paying for LM's surgery, too. We could all see it coming. Sure enough Connie confirmed that she has adopted LM and that LM has already made a best friend with Connie's other rescue kitten.

But that wasn't the last adoption of the day...there was one more. Someone you know, too. Hee hee...but this post is way too long as it is, so that will be the NEXT update. Or wait..should I update you about Princess, who was deathly ill just 10 days ago or was she the one who got adopted? No wait..this is confusing. I need a doughnut and some cider.

Last night Connie, Sam and I went to visit Princess Fifi. We knew her temperature had started to climb again and we were very worried about her. Her temp was at 104.7°F. The Vet decided to move her to IV antibiotics as they would help her feel better, faster, if she has some sort of bacterial issue. If it was a virus, there wasn't a whole lot we could do except give her supportive care and wait.

VCA Shoreline VREC is a big, fancy building. You can tell by walking in the door that it's going to cost big bucks to bring your animal inside. Before we even took a step, we saw a big pit bull standing in the center of a circle of bloody paw prints across the floor. The dog's left front paw was a bloody mess. The dog seemed to be relaxed and content, even though he was bleeding. He owner was stuck to a cellphone, talking about something. Of course I assumed the dog was used for fighting, but then stupidly realized why would they bring it to a Vet if it got hurt in a dog fight? Then the dog turned around. He had big, dangly balls. Connie and I both got pissed when we saw this. Why this dog is running around intact? We both wanted to yell at him, but realized we'd be outmatched if we spoke up.

We sidestepped the blood, told the receptionist who we were visiting, than sat down and waited. An exam room door was open and we saw a small, white bichon or poodle sitting on the exam table. Her right leg was bent oddly. Connie gasped and said; "oh no, neurological problem!" Then I started to worry they were going to put the dog down. We both agreed we hated sitting in this waiting room. I whispered under my breath; “close the door.” A Vet Tech walked over and shut the door. Neither of us wanted to see what was going to happen next.

After a few minutes, we were escorted through some doors, into the heart of the building. Princess was being held in isolation.

The room was small and filled with a huge bin of used sharps, a garbage can, a table with yellow dressing gowns all over it and a small bank of four steel cages. Three were empty. Each one had a card that read: CLEAN. The fourth, held our Princess Fifi.

When we approached the cage, Princess was sleeping. They set her up on a pretty pink bed. Her food was next to her. There were some signs that she ate a bit of it. We all called out to her, but she did not respond. My heart sank. We were told we could hold her, but just to be careful of the IV line into her front leg. Sam reached into the cage and gently took her out. She was limp.

As he began to pet her, she started to wake up. I looked at her face. It was a filthy mess. I grabbed a cotton pad from a dispenser on the table, wetted it and began to try to clean the gunk out of her eyes. At first, she didn't protest, but as she felt the cool water, she began to stir. There was a fan blowing on us and she began to shiver.

I kept trying to get her cleaned up, but the food and discharge was crusted on her pretty well. I was glad to see her react to us holding and cleaning her. I tried to mimic how her mother might have licked her face as I wiped at it with the pad.

A Vet came in to talk to us. She was about 15 years old. We asked her question after question. She was thinking Princess has a URi. That she is not at death's door, but she is not in great shape, either. That she would eat, but only if someone stayed with her while she ate. That her chest and heart sound fairly normal and her blood work was basically fine. She turned the fan off, realizing it was making Princess feel worse. Princess stopped shaking and just enjoying being held by Sam.

I asked if we could try to feed her, so the Vet got some fresh food and I offered it to her. She turned her head away, refusing my offer. I asked the Vet to warm it up, which she did. It didn't help. I rubbed a small bit on Princess's face. She licked at it, but still refused to eat. I put the food bowl down and focused on petting her. I didn't want to think that this might be the last time I see her alive. If she didn't eat...well...she was already too thin to begin with. I tried to be positive and not “go there.”

Connie and I continued to pet Princess and talk to her. She began to react a little bit more and more, then longer we were with her. I held her for a few minutes, but I was scared I'd hurt her. She was hot in my arms and her coat was not in the best shape. I wanted to just find a comfy chair and hold her for the rest of the night. None of us wanted to leave. We could see our being there was helping her feel better.

A Vet Tech came in to take Princess's temp. Sam helped hold her while Princess fussed. Her temp was down a tiny bit..down to 104.3°F. Her weight was up by 2 ounces in 4 days! We were all cautiously optimistic that maybe Princess would continue to improve.

Then, Connie took a turn holding Princess. By that time, we'd been with her for about 45 minutes. Princess perked up and gave us a “meh.” She began to fuss so I grabbed her food. Connie put her down and showed her the bowl and she started to eat! It always comforts me to see my cats eating, especially the foster kittens. It was even more meaningful to watch Princess lick carefully at her food. Connie put out her hand so Princess wouldn't fall out of the open cage. Every mouthful Princess took, would help her gain the strength she'd need to survive whatever was making her so sick. I wanted to cry. We all urged her to keep eating!

On the way to the hospital, we stopped at Walgreens to buy Princess a little toy. They had a lousy selection, but they did have these big, squeaky toys for dogs. One of them was appropriately pink and Sam and I both thought it might keep her company. She'd have to really squeeze the toy hard, to get it to squeak, so we thought she wouldn't easily be able to set it off. I also found these really cute pet beds. It looks like a grey cat, turned into a cat bed. Very soft and plush. Very cute. I promised myself that Princess would be sleeping in it when she comes back home to us and in the mean time the weird pink pig toy might be a stand in for a playmate.

Sam placed the pig next to Princess. She just stared at it. I thought that maybe she was frightened of it, but then she did the most wonderful thing. The pig has a black cable coming out of the top of it's head that's used to hang it on a display in the store. Princess reached out for the cable and started to PLAY!!!! She tapped at the cable and bit it, then wanted to eat more food. Wow! We were all bowled over when we saw her reach out that paw. It was such a significant sign that she's still fighting and she's still a kitten who wants to play! I wish I'd bought her a box full of toys!

Princess was clearly getting tired again, so we decided to leave. She snuggled down next to her toy pig. We each told Princess we loved her and that she should fight to get better and that we would see her soon-we promised.

We were all reluctant to leave. I made some jokes so we wouldn't start to cry. Just as I turned to leave, I noticed something in Princess's cage. Her blanket had her name on it! I had to ask myself, is this a sign she's in the right place? Was this destiny or just a coincidence? I can't help but wonder if all this was meant to be? But if so, what is next? What is to become of Princess? Will her temperature come down and STAY down? Will she begin to perk up, eat better and get back to the business of being a kitten again? I just don't know. I don't know if this WAS our last visit with Princess.

The night passed without any calls from the Vet. This morning Connie called me and said that Carole had called and found out Princess's temp was “down.” What that meant, I don't know. Was it down a few tenths? Was it down to normal? I have to wait until after 10am to call to get an update. I have a stomach ache. I want to know, but I don't want to know. This has been a rough road and Big O, Little Maria and Pauly have to be picked up in New Jersey today! I need to get ready, but not sure for what. I need to get those new foster cats, but I need to stay home. It will be sorted out. Thankfully, Sam and Connie are going to pitch in and help. I couldn't function without them, but really, I just want to go to sleep, wake up and have everyone be here, happy and healthy.

If you've gotten this far, there's one last thing. I'm going to post a fundraiser here, to help recover some of the money we've spent to get Princess the care she needs. Her Vet bill is over $1000.00 and it won't surprise me if it goes up from there. I've set up at ChipIn widget (above) that will go STRAIGHT to Animals in Distress. If you can help out with a few dollars-whatever you donate is tax deductible. We all know money is tight and I've had to ask more than a few times for help from everyone, so I understand if asking again, so soon, is a problem for many of you. No worries. We're going to try and those that can comfortably help us-even if it's $5, it does make a difference. If you can't donate, maybe you can forward this to your friends and they can't pitch in a dollar or two? Thank you all your prayers and support during this difficult time. It means a lot to all of us-espeically little Princess.

Our friend, Izzy, and her hubby, Mark have a weird way of celebrating their wedding Anniversary. They decided to drive to Georgia ALLLLLL the way from Pennsylvania, just to visit a friend. On the way back home, they are driving Little Maria, Pauly, Sammy (the Big Orange kitty who was dumped) and a few other kitties, north!

Yesterday, on a WHIM, they decided not to go to Georgia, but all the way to Disney! World for the day! “In for a dime...eh?”

That wasn't where the craziness ended. They're still up to some big surprises. I got a call from Izzy saying they had room in their car for the two chubby sisters and why don't they just pick them up and bring them to their home? They can't adopt them but certainly are willing to foster them until they can be adopted!

I've already said these two have the biggest hearts in the world, but even by their own high standards, they've gone above and beyond!

We are chubby love muffins! We're still looking for our forever home, but if you live in Pennsylvania or in a nearby state, we would LOVE to come live with you!

Who am I to say, no? So...Our Maria picked up the girls from East Lake Vet and took them to her home. In about an hour, Izzy and Mark will pick them up and begin their long drive back to PA! I've heard that Sammy and the girls HATE being in the car, so we're hoping they decide to settle down after a few hundred miles! If they only knew the many loving people who have been working hard to keep them safe and to give them a bright future, they'd just sing all the way back to PA, instead of cry.

Happy Anniversary, Izzy & Mark and THANK YOU for sticking your necks out for these two chubby babies.

Now let's find us a good family in PA or surrounding states and get them to their HOME! We know you're out there. Just contact me if you want to know more about the chubby sisters! info@coveredincathair.com

Cheese is a stunning orange maine coon who weighs 18 POUNDS! He says it's because he is so fluffy, not because he is fat! Cheese is neutered and up to date on his shots. He's a loving boy, but his Mama, Kathleen is in a jam! She has about a week to find a TEMPORARY placement for her beloved boy!

We all do the best we can for our cats and Kathleen is no different. She's hit a very bad place in her life due to the terrible economy. Instead of just dumping her cat on a shelter, she's just asking for some time. She KNOWS she will get back on her feet and once she does, she will want Cheese to come back. Let's help our sister out. She's doing the right thing. She's raising her hand and saying she needs help. Let's help her and help Cheese!

If you live in the area of RICHMOND, VA OR if you live in the SURROUNDING AREA or NEARBY STATES, she will get Cheese to your door. She will also provide some money towards his care while he's in foster care. She LOVES her man very much and is only doing this until she can get back on her feet and bring Cheese back home. That's all she wants. She doesn't want to re-home her cat, she just needs a nice place for him to stay for awhile.

Kathleen is terrified that she will be forced to bring Cheese to a shelter if she can't find a foster home for him in a week!

If you have room in your home to share with this lovely kitty and help his mama, Kathleen out, please contact her directly: ilovethisland3@yahoo.com

Please help me spread the word about this cat in need. Thank you!

Princess is doing better this morning. She's much perkier. The other kittens are still angry she's invaded their space, but she doesn't seem to care one way or the other. She's ready to get out of her crate and walk around, but I want to wait for Dr. Larry to see her first.

I met a HUGE, gorgeous Flame Point Persian named, Pucker at Dr Larry's. What a great NAME and great cat. The cat WILL NOT go into the cat carrier and has to be held. I offered suggestions, but her owner had done it all. I was glad Pucker didn't like the cage since I got a better look at her. She made Spencer look like a short-haired cat!

Dr. Larry and Awesome-Lauren took care of Princess today. She weighs 1 pound, 11 oz. He thinks she's about 7 weeks old. I wonder about that because physically she has some size but she is VERY thin. She was very friendly to everyone and was interested in playing and exploring her space. She must have known people before she was rescued. How she found her way, alone, into Evan's garage in Litchfield will remain a mystery. In some ways, especially regarding her body condition, she reminds me of a younger version of Chester.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Princess Fifi is fed by hand...but of course!

Princess got her first FVRCP shot. Dr. Larry felt she could tolerate it and that it would be better to have the protection on board since she's with other cats. She picked at some food as she got the shot, but the injection was COLD and she shook wildly afterwards, then tried to scratch at it. She relaxed, but you could see it took a bit out of her.

No fleas!

She should be crated for a week, then she can mingle with the other girls. Other than that, she should eat as much as she wants and I'll see to it that she gets fed every few hours.

But that wasn't the big news...

After I left Dr. Larry's, I realized I forgot to get some A/D for the kitten so I turned the car around and went back to the Clinic. While I was at the counter, I met a guy who said he had a diabetic cat. I told him I could help (well, my dear friend, Jennifer could) and that I could help him with diet. He told me that DR. LARRY WANTED HIM TO FEED HIS CAT A RAW DIET!!!!!!

BREAKTHROUGH!!!!!!

For a LONG time now, I've been leading by example. Dr. Larry is always interested to learn new things and he was interested to learn about the benefits of a raw diet. Now, I'm not the only one he knows doing this. I can't take all the credit, BUT he knows how passionate I am about a raw diet for cats. When I heard he told his client about it for his diabetic cat, I was beyond thrilled!!!

Maybe one day I'll see my goal: no more bags of prescription dry food for cats in the lobby of his clinic! Woo!

I get lots of emails and calls about cats and kittens who need help. I wish I could help everyone. I wish I could post stories about every one, too, but I'm getting overwhelmed with requests. I have a backlog of cats I need to write about and it kills me to have to make anyone wait, but I need to make a living-meager as it is, and with trying to get Kitten Associates off the ground and care for my foster cats...I feel the crush of responsibility.

So when I got a call asking me to take one kitten from Litchfield, I said I could not. I have nowhere to put the kitten other than with my other fosters. For some reason, no one understood why this was a problem for me, but I've had so many sick kittens that the last thing I want to do is open ANY of them up to a new illness or vice versa.

Guilt-ridden, I decided to, at least put the word out to see if someone local could take the kitten. Sure enough our friend, Jan jumped up and offered to help. I figured out who would meet where and when, packed up things the kitten might need and went off to Waterbury to meet up with a very nice couple-Evan and his wife. They found a little kitten-they called a tabby? the day before under their car in the garage. It walked over to Evan, making a weird squeaking noise-not at all like a regular kitten meow. She was all alone and very thin. She had ticks and fleas all over her.

They took her to the Vet who gave her sub-q fluids, tested her for feline leukemia (neg) and de-wormed her. She had no fever and was too young to be treated for fleas, but she has FLEAS!...I'm just not an expert on treating tiny kittens, so something should have been done for this cat...but it was not. Now what do I do?

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Princess and her Rescuer say goodbye.

Evan and his wife were clearly sad to let the kitten go. I told them I didn't have to take it. I didn't want them to feel pressured, but they said it was for the best. Their cat was freaking out about the kitten and they realized it wouldn't be a good fit for them and I certainly understood. They did a good thing finding help for this kitten. I asked if there were others and they hadn't seen any, but would keep a look out. I didn't want to rip the kitten out of their hands, but she seemed very lethargic and I wanted to get her fed right away. As bad as she looked to me, apparently she was looking better than she had at the Vet. I'm not sure I would have wanted to see that.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Princess gets some rest.

I asked them if she had a name and they said no, so I asked Evan to name the cat. He chose, Princess. I got Princess settled in the cat carrier and she laid down in the sun and went to sleep. She barely moved as I drove to Jan's. I could see her ribs. There was nothing to her. I started to think it was a bad idea to have this cat fostered so far from where we can get her help if she needed it. The more I drove, the more I realized I couldn't leave this kitten with Jan. She needed to be near the two rescue groups responsible for her-not further away.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Nom-noms!

I got to Jan's and she came out to greet us. She is just as sunny in person as she is online. She welcomed us to her home and we went into the basement where she was going to foster Princess. All I could think about was trying to get this kitten fed NOW, then maybe get her to Dr. Larry. We gave her some food. She got up and picked at it a tiny bit, then laid down again. I felt like a total ass, going back on the arrangement, but Jan was very understanding. Even though it was going to possibly open a big can of worms at my house, I had to bring Princess home.

We met Jan's husband, Peter and their cat, Cake. They were very sad to see Princess go, but I knew she was too fragile. She needed a Vet visit and some very careful monitoring and if she needed to be taken to the Vet, I could get it done much easier than asking Jan to run an hour down here to do that.

I called Dr. Larry's office. Got an appointment for Thurs 11:20. I asked about flea treatments, they said nothing other than a gentle BATH. Oh great. I'm going to kill this cat by bathing her. Meanwhile my head is about to spin off because I'm thinking about how I have to set up her dog crate, I don't have a litter pan or much litter, how am I going to bath her, feed her, what should I do and when?? ACK!

I got her home, got her fed again with different food. She ate more, then rested in her cat carrier while I got things set up. Then...I had to give her a bath. That was not fun for anyone. I tried to be a gentle as I could, but she got feisty, then she got limp. That scared the you-know-what out of me.

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. The bath of death...okay not death, but I certainly pushed Princess to the edge doing this. I don't want a house full of fleas, either!

I just went as fast as I could. We used towel after towel to get her dry. Seeing her wet was even worse than seeing her dry. She's a living skeleton.

Sam and I took her into the bathroom. I set up the space heater and Sam held her in a towel on his lap while the space heater blasted him in the face, it also kept Princess warm. She was shaking, while we broiled in our fleece pullovers. As Princess dried off, she perked up. She began to “make muffins”-which was a good sign. She also began to make this weird meow which is more like a “meh.” If you talk to her, she talks back. I asked her if she was feeling better and she replied; “Meh.”

I got her settled into her crate. Cinnie, Sugie, Yodel and Honey B. were not thrilled. They hissed and got VERY cranky when they saw Princess. She just sat in her crate and ate. I gave her almost a full jar of chicken baby food. She ate it ALL. I was very glad to see that, but she has a long way to go. (and no, she is not just getting chicken baby food. I know it doesn't have all the nutrition she needs, but I wanted to get her to EAT and this is a good, easy food to digest)

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Third meal in two hours. Still eating!

I let her rest in the crate while the other kittens frantically tried to touch her through the bars. She ignored them, but every time I spoke to her, she would look at me and “meh.” It reminded me of my dear cat, Squeegee, who died many years ago. Squeegee was named for her weird meow. I realized that calling this kitten Princess, didn't do the trick. She needed a tweak to her name and I had just the idea. I'm going to call her, Princess Fifi, in honor of Squeegee whose nickname was, the Baroness von Fifi. I asked her if she liked the new name. She said; “meh.”

©2010 Robin A.F. Olson. Cinnamon and Sugar Pie unenthusiastically unwelcome Princess to THEIR room.

It's after midnight. I'm wiped out. Princess had to be washed off 3 more times. She kept getting into her food, then walking into the litter pan. I got so irritated, Sam had to take her the last time. I think I'm at the “it's too much” point and I need to find a way to make some time for what I need to get done. I feel like I've lost the month...where is time going? I get up...it's all stress all day...then I pass out at night. I know it won't always be like this, but sheesh. I need a night out or just some sort of break with this craziness. I can see how people get burned out doing rescue. It's truly exhausting, but of course, it's equally as exhilarating to look down into the eyes of a fragile kitten you just rescued and know that she has a chance because of you.

I got into bed while Sam was tucking Princess Fifi into her crate for the night. Every muscle in my neck was rigid. My head was throbbing. I began to wonder if I'd be able to sleep. Sam asked me if I was okay. I replied; “Meh.”