Clown and Emo (Gato) - A home for them too (two)!

So yesterday I stop over at Pat Baxters to pick up Smoky and Demonette who will finally be rejoining their humans. Cindy and Jason lived in the park in Cedar Springs but were looking to move out. I told them that I would keep Smoky and Deomonette in foster care till they could find a place for themselves. Two months later, I'm driving them to Greenville to their new home.

This left Pat Baxter with Clown (Smoky's other kitten) and Emo (Gato). That very same day, Kim called with desire to adopt Clown. I was ellated! How perfect! The day that Smoky and Demonette go back to be with their humans, Clown finds a human too! Then today Pat called me and told me that Kim and her beau/husband (sorry, not sure and don't want to presume), adopted BOTH Clown AND Gato!!!

Amazing people. Kim fell for Clown and beau/hubby (sorry, I don't know his name either) fell for Gato. Ok, what is so amazing about falling for kittens? Well....falling for kittens with needs for medication for coccidia and ringworm....that's amazing!

Thank you for taking Clown and Gato into your home! And Thank you Pat Baxter for making it happen!!!

The new proud Papa and El' Gato.

Kim and Clown.

Iggy and Joel - A Happy Ending!

After Fanny was adopted I was feeling bad for Iggy and Joel. I was worried that there was some high demand for orange kitties and that gray might not be "in" till later in the year!

But alas, Julia emailed me looking specifically for a gray kitty. And then, she expressed an interest in adopting two! Nothing could have thrilled me more because I really wanted to adopt them as a pair since they were siblings.

And so Julia came over within an hour of talking to her on the phone and took them home!

What a great day for all of us!

When Fanny met Ashley - Fanny got a home!

Yes! This is actually true! All the kittens rescued from Cedar Springs thus far have been adopted! Over the past week, Fanny (now Stella), Iggy, Joel, Clown and Gato have all found forever homes!

I was thrilled when Ashley came by to meet Fanny. She was a dog person and never had a cat. Then her brother saddled her with his kitten while he went on vacation. Ashley and hubby became cat lovers overnight. Wanting to find a kitten of their own, they turned to Petfinder, saw Fanny and it was love at first sight.

Just look at Ashley and Fanny (Stella)!

Mother and daughter....a portrait of love!!!

Stella will be living with her dog companion, Stoli.

Operation CS Continues

Continuing work in Cedar Springs!

This past week I was able to trap 4 strays. Bruce only fixed three of them however. Guess why! Because I trapped one that I had already fixed. No good excuse except it was dark and I was all keyed up and didn't notice it's ear tip!

Last night I was able to return two of the three. The third one is a crazy feral girl who is loose in my garage at the moment. I have three traps set with stinky mackeral and I'm hoping that she gets in the trap before I leave for florida on Monday.

Oh yeah, I'm going to be basking in the sun in less than 48 hours! Can't wait. My wonderful friend and neighbor Jonelle and I are going to spend 10 days at her condo in Bonita Springs. I hope I don't see any stray cats while I'm there!

Amy Townsend from C-SNIP (who used to do feral rehab for me) and I ran around the park and boostered 23 cats who needed their second feline leukemia vaccines.

We saw lots of free roaming cats. And I'm happy to report that the ones we did see were all ear tipped! A great sense of pride surged over me when I identified them with their funky little left ears.

It has been very rewarding. Exhausting and expensive....but rewarding!

Patches and Baby

Wonderful Mark B from Cedar Springs (but not the trailer park) contacted Jandy's Home with concern over a female cat and two kittens who he and his wife had been feeding in their yard. The mama kitty had a really bad eye and some other issues. Amy passed him on to be because I guess Cedar Springs is my turf now.

By the time I was able to help him, Mark could only find Mom and one kitten, but he brought them to me as soon as we could get them in for fixing!

Patches' eye looked really horrible. So Mark, Amy and I pooled our resources and had Dr. Langlois remove it for her. Thank you Bruce for making this delicate surgery affordable to us.

Patches stayed at the Animal Hospital for post-op observation for a couple of days and Bruce determined that she had sight loss in what was once her good eye. It was fully dilated all the time. Had me worried sick, let me tell you.

Last night Mark and I met and Patches and baby went home with him. Today he called me and said that Patches has the run of the house and was sitting with her son on the back of the couch. He believes she can see shadows. Hopefully she will fully regain her sight in that eye.

At the very least, she in inside, safe and happy with her little baby. In two weeks, Mark's daughter will adopt both kitties!

Patches before eye surgery.

Post-Op Patches.
I think it's cute that Bruce gave her pink stitches!

Other TNR Work - It's not all about Cedar Springs!!

Hello Feral Friends

For those of you who think that when I'm not in Cedar Springs, I'm sitting on my couch eating bon-bons, well let this be testament that I'm not. Though I wish I were!

I'm back in the saddle again and enjoying lots of great TNR.

I was very surprised to find out that there was a feral mother and 6 kittens in my own condo complex. Begin my easiest TNR ever! TNR in your own backyard is so much nicer than trucking all over Kent County to find your catch! I got them all over the course of three days. All were fixed but had to spend extra time in my garage because we had a distemper scare and I had to hold everyone 14 days to be sure no signs appeared. Now we have our own feral colony here, and lots of people are feeding and watching out for these wild ones! Super, duper wild ones actually. Mom taught them all how to be hissy little spitters!

A sweet couple in Cannonsburg called me one evening looking for help with a feral mom and her three kittens. They had been feeding the cats in their backyard for some time and didn't want to see these four cats turn into 40 by next spring.

It was a cinch. That evening at feeding time, I showed up with traps and bing, bang, boom....all the kittens went in.

The next day I showed up and trapped Mom and a nice male stray who also feeds at their nightly smorgasboard.

Bruce was in Guyanna teaching the natives how to do veterinary medicine, so C-SNIP came to my rescue and fixed the cats for me!

A few days later and all were returned. Thank you to Betty and Paul for your generous donation which helps me keep going.

Cannonsburg Kittens during rehab.

When I returned from Albuquerque, I finally hooked up with Karla Randle who lives in Kentwood. She got my name from my condo management company of all places. Guess they are on to me!

She has 5 very feral kittens who she feeds too. Same story as above. Showed up at supper time, set traps and got two. Karla set a trap the next night and got another. And the following night, she trapped the last two! All have been returned and are looking forward to a cozy winter in the straw stuffed styrofoam coolers provided.

I was taking one such styrofoam cooler kitty shelters out to Chris Timmer's house where Lilly lives. Erica trapped Lilly and her kittens for me while I was busy slinging souvlaki downtown at the Calder Festival last summer. Lilly was semi feral but produced 5 of the sweetest kittens ever! Her litter was the first to be completely adopted out when we opened Jandy's Home Adoption Center. It pained me to return Lilly but I had to because it was at that very time that I realized that I was going to have to begin doing TNR of FRIENDLIES. I reasoned, that if I was going to TNR friendly strays, there was no point in continuing to socialize Lilly. I got her all her shots and had her microchipped and took her back to Chris' backyard.

Chris maintains a feeding station for her and has seen her often. I was hoping to see her when I dropped off the winter shelter but instead, I found a very huge tom with a massive pair of testicles. I call him BB King. You can guess what the BB stands for! I managed to lure him halfway into a small carrier (that I just so happened to have in my van) and shoved him in the rest of the way. Needless to say he wasn't pleased with me. Wasn't thrilled with me the next day either when he got snipped by Dr. Langlois.

But today I released him and he ran like hell across the street, stopped and meowed to me from a good SAFE distance saying something which I'd like to think was “Thank You” but it probably wasn't. However, I'm pretty sure it was “something YOU”.

For anyone who has had to put their pet to sleep

This lovely poem was sent to me by my dear, loving, understanding friend, Erica. She is one of the best things for me...to come out of cat rescue. Thank you Erica. Not only will these words soothe my soul, but now they will do so for others. I adore you! - C

If it should be that I grow frail and weak,
and pain should keep me from my sleep,
then you must do what must be done,
for this, the last battle, can't be won.

You will be sad, I understand.
Don't let the grief then stay your hand.
For this day more than all the rest,
your love and friendship stand the test.

We've had so many happy years,
what is to come can hold no fears.
You'd not want me to suffer so;
when the time comes, please let me go.

Take me where my needs they'll tend,
and stay with me, if you can, to the end.
Hold me firm and speak to me,
until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time, you will see,
it is a kindness you do for me.
Although my tail its last was waved,
from pain and suffering I've been saved.

Don't grieve that it should be you,
who must decide this thing to do.
We've been so close, we two, these years,
don't let your heart hold any tears.

Smile...
for we walked together for a little while.

Author Unknown

And in another act of kindness toward Gabby and I, during our time of loss...
Kristin, a program vendor that Gabby has working with him on the road presented him with a box of cookies last night. When he opened the box, she said "I made these cookies and they are dedicated to the memory of Socks". Isn't that just the sweetest thing? Thank you Kristin. I know it meant a lot to Gabby to have support out there on the road.

Socks "Woobie" Manos 1993 - 2006

It is with heavy heart that I write tonight. This eveing I had my beloved Socks put to sleep.

Socks and Trixie came into my life on Mother's Day 1994. I had recently lost my cat Baby to Hepatic Lepadosis just after moving to Grand Rapids. I was devastated. Gabby grabbed a GR Press and found a woman with an ad for two cats "Free to good home". And that's exactly what they got!

Socks has had just about every malady a cat could ever have. From feline chin feliculitis (basically kitty acne) to Addison's Disease. With cataracts, glaucoma, kidney disease, chronic vomiting and to top it all off....irritable bowel syndrome!

In the late Spring, Socks stopped eating and became very weak. I took him to Dr. Langlois and he diagnosed the Addison's Disease at that time. He had a tough time pulling through, but Dr. Langlois put him on pred and he was doing well for the whole summer. Then two days ago, he stopped eating and became weak again. After the first bout, I vowed that if it happened again, I'd not do any heroics and allow him to slip away. He had been through a lot in his life and he was getting "up there" in years and I knew it was only a matter of time before all his illnesses and diseases worked him over good.

With my having to leave tomorrow for 4 days in Albuquerque to inter the ashes of my beau's father, I didn't feel comfortable leaving Socks without someone watching him closely. And I didn't want him to be hospitalized, poked, proded and tested endlessly. I knew what needed to be done.

So this evening, I took him to Dr. Langlois' office and had him euthanized. Dr. Langlois is in Guyanna currently and won't be back till Monday so his relief vet, Dr. Hen did the procedure for me.

It was quick and very peaceful. I was there with him, holding him. I took his body home and allowed Trixie to pay her respects. She rubbed her chin and cheeks all over the little cardboard casket. She was sure to leave her mark. Then I took him to Noah's Gardens Pet Cemetery in Cascade and made arrangements for his cremation.

Life can kick you in the ass sometimes. And today, it kicked mine.

The photo above is my absolute favorite photo I've ever taken. It's Socks behind Spooky (who left us in Spring of 2004). This photo was taken of the cats looking out the window of our 5th wheel trailer looking over the Pacific Ocean just outside of San Francisco. Socks actually hated Spooky because Spooky antagonized the hell out of him. When Spooky died, Socks rejoiced. Now they are together again. I hope Spooky goes easy on him.

Sorry to be such a bag of downers. It's a rough day. But my blog has always been very cathartic, so tonight I'm just writing from the heart as I always do. And this is actually my 100th Carol's Ferals blog entry. For this milestone entry, I thank you Socks "Woobie" Manos for being my first ever boy kitty. My squishy little man. My Dobbins! God rest your sweet little soul.

Arthur and Benjamin REUNITED

Hello Feral Friends

Excellent news to share with you all! The two first kittens I pulled out of Cedar Springs way back in August before officially starting OP. CED. SPGS. were taken to Jandy's Home Adoption Center and shared a cage there till one was adopted in early September. That was Arthur. Benjamin hung out with other kitties for about a month without his litter mate. BUT, Jamie who is in charge of the adoption center now has just informed me that Benjamin is being adopted tonight. I was about to claim him back from Amy so that I could keep all the Cedar Springs cats under my umbrella, but now I won't have to. BECAUSE BENJAMIN has found a home.

And you know WHAT????? He is being adopted by the people who adopted Arthur. So brothers will be reunited! Isn't that just flippin' fabulous? Oh God, that just made my day!

A few of you know the whole complete story behind these two kittens. I can't share all the details on the blog, but if you hook up with me face to face some day, I'll tell you about how these two kittens nearly got me lynched before I was able to rescue them!!!

: ) C

Cedar Springs Update

Hello Feral Friends

My dear, wonderful cat rescue buddy, Erica Carranco came out to CS with me last night to administer FELV boosters to the cats that have already been fixed. We took my personal cats, Monkey, Morgan and Toby in to Animal Hospital of Lowell earlier in the day for training. They all needed vaccines anyway so I figured, let's just learn on them! They didn't appreciate it too much, but you know...

So with confidence in shooting up cats, we made the trek to CS and got 35 of 70 cats boostered.
It only takes 10 seconds to give the shot. But driving around from trailer to trailer, visiting with the owners and waiting for them to hornswaggle the cat added to the task, making each cat an average of 10 MINUTES to booster! But thankfully, E is super patient!

While I'm not a fan of leaving cats outdoors, It was good to see that many of the outdoor cats had the signature ear tip, identifying them as "fixed" to me and anyone else who comes into the park at a later date to do TNR. Just knowing that these cats are steralized and won't be making unwanted litters of kittens at alarming rates was nothing short of "good for the soul".

Despite that, I'm stressed as hell because once Dr. Langlois returns from South America next week, I only have two weeks to finish fixing the cats of the park before Vicky's Pet Connection pulls the plug on our spay/neuter funding. They have given us so much and made the "fixing" of approximately 200 cats possible. Bless you Vicky and Nancy. But alas, all good things must come to an end and Gina Marvin and I will be on our own financially. God help us! But...where there's a will...there's a way. And we are two girls with tremendous will!!!

I have at least 6 litters of kittens in homes in the park yet to fix and then there is all the stray trapping that needs to be done. Sandy and Sharon have a feeding station set up and so does a gal named Renee. So that will help determine where the traps can be set for ease of trapping.

The remaining 35 cats will be boostered this week and then all will be protected against Feline Leukemia for one year!

It's been a great mission and I'm glad that I've been able to make some difference in the lives of the cats of Cedar Springs Mobile Estates. Thanks to all who have read the blog and followed the updates on this, my special project!

Have a groovy day-
C

Schnikelfritz

Hello Feral Friends

Here is a little update on a special kitty that was picked up late one Friday night in Cedar Springs. Sharon and Sandy called because someone brought them a kitten with a bum leg. Of course, I ran right out thinking it was "really bad" but thankfully it wasn't. Dr. Langlois examined her the following Monday and determined that it was just something akin to a pulled muscle. She was fixed and recuperated at my place. Then she was taken to the wonderful, loving, caring home of Ruth and Jaycee who live in the trailer park as well.

They didn't care that she limped a little, they just wanted a kitten to love! Nice people. Last week when I was in Cedar Springs running cats, several children came up to me and said how well their kitties were doing after their surgery. Some were more playful than EVER! That really made my day. A sweet little boy told me that the cat I gave them was doing well too. I asked what kitty he had (as I had shuffled several abandoned kittens around at that point)zxs, and he said "Schnikelfritz". He informed me that her leg was doing much better and she was getting around nicely.

Last night, Erica Carranco and I went out to C.S. and gave Feline Leukemia booster shots to 35 of the 70 cats that have been fixed there so far. We found Schnikelfritz right in her front yard enjoying the evening air. It was nice to see her sticking close to home. I took her inside, gave her the shot and talked a bit with Ruth. She said that Schnikelfritz is now being called "Star". Cute name, I'm not at all offended that they changed it. Schnikelfritz is quite a mouthful.

Star doesn't limp anymore and only kinda favors the leg when she jumps down from a high place. She is very much loved and lives in a really nice home.

I know some of you met Schnik, and fell in love with her. I know there is one of you out there in particular who really cared about her. I wanted you to know that she is fine.

: ) C

Like shooting fish in a barrel

Hello Feral Friends-

Today while working on my "How to trap a feral cat" Instructional Blog (see link to right), I got a call from Betty in Belding. She and her husband Paul have been feeding some feral kittens in her back yard. It was about an hour before feeding time and the cats were out and looking for food. I told her to wait and let me come set some traps tonight. So I ran up to their home on Cannonsburg Road and set 4 traps. Within an hour I had 4 cats trapped. One was really stubborn and wouldn't step on the trip plate, so Paul gave me some string and I yanked the trigger through the closed door to their screened in porch. Viola...cat number 4 was trapped and I was on my way home to drop cats and have dinner with Barb Olson.

I owe this to my idol Gina Marvin. After going through all her trapping statistics on Saturday night, I got remotivated and despite the fact that Dr. Langlois is in South America, I went a trapping anyway. Tomorrow morning I'll take the cats to C-SNIP.

Tomorrow, say a little prayer for me because I am going to use three of my own cats at guinea pigs to learn how to give vaccines. Yes, Monkey, Morgan and Toby will be getting vaccinations from their own mother. With the instruction of Bonnie and the support of my dear, dear friend Erica Carranco, I will be ready for shooting up the cats in Cedar Springs with their FELV boosters. Erica and I will go up there after dropping off my three traumatized pin cushions. We have over 70 cats to vaccinate. Should be an interesting night!!

: ) Carol

Fanny is Bait - But Gus Found A Home Today

Hello Feral Friends-

Fanny continues to draw 'em in, but her siblings seem to go home. That's ok because it's very likely that one of my neighbors will be adopting her. Till then, I'm keeping her up on petfinder just incase they change their mind. All they want is a girl kitten, so if she goes to another home, I'll get one from Gina Marvin and Focus on Ferals.

Speaking of Focus on Ferals....Gina did her stats and since May of 2005, she has fixed, and either returned, relocated or found homes for 469 cats and kittens. Way to go Gina! You ARE my HERO!

Back to my original reason for writing today. Gus found a home!!! He went home with Luke, a recent GVSU Grad! Super cool guy. Here is Gus and his new Daddy! When he loaded little Gus in the car I saw that he purchased all the proper kitten necessities...including high quality food and such! What a lucky boy Gus is!

Thank you Luke for giving Gus a forever home!
Enjoy each other!!

Gus and Luke! How cute is this!!!!