WTF?!

Control-A-Cat Remote Control

I love this part of the description: “No batteries required - powered by wishful thinking.”

If only it really worked. Also, it's missing buttons for: “Don't PEE There!” and “Quit Bugging Me, I'm Not Going to FEED You Right Now! (Not sure that would fit on a button, though.)

The only Holiday Song my cats know is: “Feed Me! Pet Me! Feed Me!”

(from left to right) Petunia, Spencer, Gracie, (front-center) Nora & Nick (held by Gracie) Bob J. Dole. ©2008 Robin A.F. Olson

In less than a month “our Will,” the kitty who survived being hit by a car, stuck at a shelter that would have to euthanize him due to his medical needs, then suffered a 900+ mile transport, is now living the life of luxury in Connecticut.

Apparently Will is:

1. not afraid of dogs

2. the alpha dog

3. a bed hog

Photo of Will (left) and Millie (right) provided by Will's doting Mother, Clare, who we at CiCH simply adore!

It's a good thing his family is English, because they teach their companions good manners at all times. I'm sure Millie, the dog, would never be so rude as to insist on getting her dog bed back! Also, with Millie's excellent breeding (pardon the pun), there are high hopes that it will rub off on our wiley, Will!

Will, please learn to share, buddy! Glad to see you doing so well!

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!

About two years ago I trapped a few feral cats. Two of them: Buddy and Bronte, have taken to hanging around our house; enjoying the endless buffet, fresh water and cute little feral cat shack-including a heated cat bed!

The kitties have been showing up more and more often. It's nice to see them relaxing in the screen room, out of the worst of the weather. They're not terribly afraid of us, but they do keep their distance. I keep toying with the idea of pulling Bronte back inside for hard core de-sensitiazation, but she is chubby and seems happy. If I kept her indoors all winter, it would mess her up if I had to let her go back outside come spring, if she didn't want to be a domesticated kitty-pal.

I suppose that one of the cats wanted to thank us for the great grub, since they're probably “not that into” mice any more and they're probably trying to tell us that we suck at providing for ourselves. Obviously they haven't seen the mountain of crap we eat every day.

Or perhaps they have?

Regardless, this (see below) was left outside our front door.

Gore blurred out of respect for the mousey and so you guys don't barf.

This poor little mousey is in Heaven. It's earthly remains are all that linger. I'm sorry the little mousey died, but am glad to know that should I run out of cash, feeding all these damn cats, that I can count on my feral cats to provide for me.

Now if I could only train them to rob banks and vacuum the house, I'd be all set.

Rest in Peace, little mousey.

Although I am thrilled and joyful at being able to help a few kitties NOT DIE at Henry County, Betsy gave me some information that was deeply sobering...

“The last statistics I looked at were September. 2 cats reclaimed, 17 adopted, 34 rescued, and 386 euthanized. That's cats and kittens combined and you can bet it was mostly kittens who got out.”

I've asked Betsy what we can do to help her STOP the KILLING. I know there are many, if not most of you who want to do something to help. Now that Betsy is starting to know me a bit, perhaps we can start a process of finding a way to save lives instead of take them.

It's been a week of winning the Lottery–first with little Gingerbread, then being able to rescue these HIGHLY AT RISK kitties. I'm so grateful I have people who can help me do my work, but I'm also brokenhearted.

I need more people to help and I need us to come up with a way to SOLVE this problem on a much BIGGER scale.

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!

Of all the places I've ever traveled to, there's only ONE where I get lost EVERY TIME-White Plains, NY. I don't know why. It might be that I-287 slices the city in half, the roads are not set up on a grid, but rather some antediluvian animal path. Perhaps if I navigate by sense of smell, I'd be in better shape?

This is how I'm going to get to my hotel tonight. After I get myself there, I need to get OUT and drive 3.1 miles to the Conference hotel. You tell me something is WRONG with a city's layout when it's 3.1 miles TO some location and it's 4.4 miles BACK to the point of departure!!!!

And no. I'm not going to make a comment about the shape of the path. It's just too obvious!!!!

Wish me luck!

This morning I was notified that one of the litters we were working on saving "got sick." I don't know if it was a simple URI or worse, but it doesn't change the fact that due to the strict health standards at Henry County-the kittens were "humanely" euthanized.

We didn't get a chance to intervene or a chance to pull them. We didn't find out until it was too late. I am horrified, sick, brokenhearted. I know that sticking my neck out and offering to help at High KILL Shelters means, that some times there isn't a happy ending-more often than not these cats don't make it out alive.

It's just that I was planning for them to be here and trying to figure out how we could make the costs work out and so hopeful we could raise enough money in time to help them. We were so ready to have a house filled the the brim with kittens this holiday season and now...I don't know.

Barb has a bad cold and is "done" for today. She gave me the news and then signed off. I don't blame her a bit. How can we go on when we have to face the reality-THEY DO DIE. THEY DO DIE EVERY DAMN DAY and THEY WILL KEEP DYING UNTIL WE GET EVERYONE TO SPAY & NEUTER THEIR PETS AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ANIMALS FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES-not DUMP THEM WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH.

I doubt I will ever see the day when this sort of thing doesn't have to happen. It's too hard to change everyone's perception about animal care. This happened on MY WATCH. Right under MY NOSE. I am pissed at myself for not doing more and I wish so much I could tell those kittens I'm sorry I let them down!!!! I'm really trying to make a difference, but right now...well right now all I can do is cry.

I've decided I want someone to build me a "safe room" in my house. You know, those rooms you hide in that even some crazed assassin with a battering ram can't enter if you happen to be the victim of a home invasion.

I'm not particularly fearful of someone breaking into my house while I'm here. I just want a place to EAT MY LEFTOVER MEATLOAF SANDWICH IN PEACE!!!

DAMN CATS!