Musings on a Small Life

Whew, we're cooking now, in the middle of a heat wave with temps feeling like they're in the high 30s/40C (or 100+F). I'm so glad I had central air put in back in April 2017! You'll be happy to know that Derry is going outside again, though episodes of his twitching skin and freaking out do persist, though are of shorter duration. I ignore him now, except to check his fur when I can. Nicki's okay too, eating well but fur and bone. He's lost so much weight, yet all his blood tests, including his T4 for hyperthyroidism, come back just fine. I even had him de-wormed in May, based on a post that Connie over at Tails From The Foster Kittens had done ages ago about one of her own cats. So I'm stumped. The only other thing I can think of is cancer, but would it take so long to be evident? Nothing showed up on his last x-ray in June, not that the vet (not our regular vet) reported to me, at any rate. Malabsorption of nutrients? Should I ask about a B12...

A dear friend of mine, who lost both her soulmate horse and her cat this year, just adopted this little pumpkin last Thursday, from a shelter in her area. Meet Amber! (For her amber-coloured eyes.)     Isn't she just the prettiest dilute tortie? Apparently she'd been picked up as a stray on November 6th, I believe, spayed on the 8th, and then adopted on the 10th. Lucky girl! She's thin, but eating very well, and soon will fill out, I'm sure. She's settled right in with the existing dog (who is happy to have a cat in the house again), and apparently she's demonstrating her tortitude by getting into everything, scratching everything (and ignoring the cat scratchers and pads, of course), breaking things and generally being a very active young ladycat.  :-) Welcome to your forever home, Amber! I wish you a long and happy, healthy life! Peace .

If you don't know that my coworker rescued an emaciated tortie this AM, on her morning jog in the campus neighbourhood (maybe 1.5 kms away), scroll down to the earlier post, as details are there. Here are some of the pics I snapped through the day, but be warned, she will break your heart. Starving and eating grilled Fancy Feast. She got fed small bits throughout the day, and she kept it all down, drank lots of water too.     She had been lying on the desk (my coworker on the right, cropped out), but she got up and came to the door when I tried to sneak up and take a pic. The container and litter my old boss brought in. She had peed in it (good girl!), but I used the clone tool to take that out, since no one needs to see a pee clump. No straining or visible blood in it, though.       Through the glass--she was out like a light, finally with a full tummy and obviously exhausted. Anytime someone would pass by (except when she fin...

Remember this guy from a post last week? Turns out his name is "Finn," short for Finneus (or maybe it's Phineas), he has a home, and he is neutered. (This is the older/bigger fellow I see hanging around with Carla and on Carla's doorstep.) I found this out yesterday afternoon, after work, when I saw the woman who lives with Carla's "dad" sitting outside on their step, with Finn beside her. I stopped to ask if they had adopted another cat and she filled me in. And no, Finn isn't theirs, he just hangs out on their step a lot, probably for the extra food. However, she's not seen the younger, unneutered one at all, and I asked that she keep an eye out, told her that if I could get him into a carrier I'd have him snipped. I've not seen him since I posted about him--probably he understood me when I told him that he needed to be fixed.  :-p So at least this guy has a home of sorts, and at least his humans were educated enough to...

Most of you remember Toby, the abandoned or stray or semi-feral I fed for several years. And most of you know that the daughter of the vet clinic owner took him, though Toby's not at their horse barn anymore, but has settled in on a nearby property, coming and going as he pleases and being well-cared for. Toby in July 2012   I've seen another black and dark grey cat hanging around in our complex, with Carla (the cat that Nicki hates so much), for some time now. I think I've posted pics of him, at least one. Here they are, both on Carla's doorstep. I don't know if Carla's human has "adopted" this cat as well, though I see him there often.   However, I didn't realize there was another, younger white and greyish cat, until just a short time ago. Aiiieeee! Get off my fence!     Nicki's poofed-up tail. Here's the larger/older cat facing the camera. They have to be related, these two. And doesn't this one make you...

I just called and spoke with Meghan about Toby (10:40AM). He's still at the clinic, has had all his vaccinations, ears cleaned, been dewormed, etc. He's still in isolation, in a large dog cage right now, will go to the barn with Meghan tomorrow, when she finishes work at noon. He's not happy about being locked up (what cat is?) and keeps trying to escape whenever someone opens his cage door, but he's been super-good, clean in the cage, no problems at all, no aggression, not even when doing the vaccs. Meghan said she has the stall all set up for him now, and that she'll spend a couple of hours out there with him tomorrow, while she's doing her chores. I asked if I could call back in about a week to see how he's going, and she said not a problem.  :-) Fingers--and paws--crossed, guys. BTW, we're slated for a winter wallop starting tonight, up to 25 cms of snow, blowing snow, etc. through tomorrow evening. Whatever happens to Toby now, ...

I called this morning, but Meghan wasn't in, was told she'd be there in a few hours. So I just called again (about 1:40PM) and was told she wasn't in at all today. So. No Toby update until tomorrow at the earliest. I don't want to keep pestering them, but will try for an update tomorrow. Fingers (and paws!) crossed for him. * Yesterday morning, as I was leaving for work, I saw "Mr. Peanuts" (unneutered young male) around the back of my unit, by the fence. I think he had been up to my step looking for the kitty buffet, but alas, the buffet is gone. I didn't see any paw prints in this morning's fresh dusting of snow, though. I won't put food out again, but if I do have an opportunity to catch him (or any other stray), I'll do my best. * Nicki was on guard yesterday morning, and again this morning, looking for Toby on our fence. I think it'll take the Nickster a while to "stand down," as it were. * The neighbour mother an...

It's done, Toby's at the vet clinic now, will stay for a day or two to have tests run and be vaccinated.   Backing up a bit... On Friday afternoon my co-worker left her dog cage on my front step, but it was so large and so unwieldy that I knew at a glance it just wouldn't suit. She had left a scribbled note for me saying in fit in her car with a millimeter or two to spare. But there's no way any taxi driver would have even made the attempt. So on Saturday, while at PetSmart, I found a carrier for 15 - 25 pound dogs (above) on sale, and bought it. Hadn't wanted to spend money for a one-time use, but the size was right and the price was really good. On Sunday I put it together in my garage, with Toby there to lend a paw. I spent a few minutes with a bag of Temptations, putting a few inside. He got his head and front paws in, and I left it at that. Sunday evening I lit a votive candle for him and prayed, in my way, to the Source, the Universe, th...

I'm going to borrow my co-worker's dog crate next week, since there will be lots of room and I might be able to entice Toby into it with nip and silver vine more easily. And the perfect, tactful way of addressing integration just popped into my head: When (please let it be "when" and not "if") I get Toby to the clinic, I'll ask her if she'd like to borrow the crate for a couple of weeks to keep Toby confined, to give him time to adjust to his new home. My co-worker is fine with that, as she doesn't use the crate anyway. I think that's a much better solution than calling this woman up and asking if she knows how to integrate a feral cat, something that easily could put her on the defensive and make her wish she hadn't offered to take Toby in the first place. Sometimes--just sometimes--I have a "brilliant" idea. No more posts today, I promise. And no more posts about Toby until it's a done deal, however long t...

In response to a few comments: This person, out of the kindness of heart, has offered to take Toby to her family's barn. No, she doesn't care what he looks like, because it really doesn't matter, she'll take him regardless, out of compassion, to give him a chance. He's not going to be a house cat. And frankly, I don't really feel I have the right to tell her what to do with him and how to do it. I would hope that, since it's a vet family (father is the co-owner of the clinic) and since they also take unadoptable cats from our local shelter, they'd be savvy enough to understand that cats are territorial and will head for "home" if not acclimated. I can call today to ask if he'll be confined somehow and allowed to adjust. But if she says no, what then?  One alternative is to continue as is, with my cats being held hostage in the house because I can't let them out safely, with Toby always on the fence, looking like he'l...

I had emailed the president of the boys' shelter last night, asking about barn homes, naively thinking they'd have a list of people who take cats for barns. They do not and all the spaces at various barns are filled, he replied. So I've been very discouraged all morning. On a whim I called the clinic that neutered him in the first place, to ask if they happened to know of anyone who would take poor Toby for a barn. I chatted with the tech who is the daughter of the clinic owner, and she said she'd take him. They have a 20-horse barn and all their outdoor cats are rescues, as are all their indoor cats. I chatted with her for a bit, told her about Toby and why I was trying to find a home for him (btw Nicki was fighting with him through the fence last night, I was stressed, Derry was stressed....), etc. I told her I could send her a few pics of Tobes, but she said she didn't care, it didn't matter what he looked like. So. Getting a hold of a ca...

"Mr. Peanuts" is coming around again, or more likely, just showing up again in the early mornings, when I put Toby's breakfast out.   He's squinting from the flash (this AM). This was after he polished off Toby's canned food. (Because Toby has a nibble while I'm outside, then hangs around the back, either by or on my fence until I come out again to give him some attention.) The last time I saw Mr. Peanuts he was quite slender and essentially a kitten. Now you can see his unneutered male face and heavy body. Likely he's more  of a "Mr. Walnuts" now. ::Sigh:: He still dashes off when I come out, but doesn't go far. Maybe at some point I'll be able to get him and have him snipped. I really have no idea if he "belongs" with any (irresponsible) human or if he's on his own. Hey, Tobes, you missed your breakfast. (I gave him another can, of course.) And this was Toby yesterday morning, on my fence. (Flash off, he...